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TREATISE 



CLASS MEETINGS. 



BY REV. JOHN MILEY, A. M. 



lflttl) an Introduction, 



BY REV. THOMAS A. MORRIS, D. D., 

ONE OF THE BISHOPS OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. 






"Wherefore, comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, 
even as also ye do." 



(Exnnnnatt: 



PRINTED AT THE METHODIST BOOK CONCERN, 
FOR THE AUTHOR. 

R . P. THOMPSON, PRINTER. 

1851. 



f *CONo RESs / 



X S 34-4 






Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1851, 

BY JOHN MILEY, 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the District of Ohio. 



PREFACE. 



l£ 



Methodism is spiritual Christianity. She 
does not reject suitable forms, but holds them 
as subsidiary to her spirituality. Of all 
these, class meetings occupy the chief place. 
They are eminently pertinent and important 
to experimental and practical religion. It 
may, therefore, be a matter of some surprise 
that they have not, long since, commanded 
the service of some one of the many able 
pens that have ever been ready for the de- 
fense, the support, and commendation of the 
various parts of our Church economy. I 
could find no work which proposed a discus- 
sion of this subject. How far this treatise 
will supply this deficiency, must await the 
decision of those who read it. The plan of 
discussion pursued is that suggested to my 
mind by the subject itself. My aim has been 
to set forth the institution in its own true 
character as the very best light in which it 

3 



4 Preface. 

could be viewed. The arguments offered in 
support of the obligation of class meetings, 
have not been hastily thrown out. They 
were written, at least in part, more than a 
year since, and have been very carefully con- 
sidered. Like some others, I once had doubts 
of the sufficiency of this obligation ; but they 
have all passed away — I am fully satisfied. 
I have been the more elaborate on this part, 
under a persuasion of its chief importance. 
And if this work shall contribute somewhat 
to the support of this invaluable institution 
of our Church, I shall feel that I have in- 
creased reasons for gratitude and devotion to 
God. That it may serve this good purpose 
is my earnest prayer. John Miley. 

Cincinnati, April, 1851. 



CONTENTS. 



Introduction Page 7 

CHAPTER I. 

THE SOCIAL PRINCIPLE UPON WHICH CLASS MEETINGS ARE INSTI- 
TUTED. 

The social principle 23 

The social principle in religion 27 

The social principle in class meetings 31 

CHAPTER II. 

THE DESIGN OF CLASS MEETINGS. 

Origin and primary purpose of class meetings 44 

Design of class meetings particularly stated 49 

Class meetings not a confessional - 57 

CHAPTER III. 

THE OBLIGATION OF CLASS MEETINGS! FIRST GENERAL ARGUMENT. 

Class meetings, as a regulation of our Church, constitute a 
term of Church membership • • 71 

Principle of the first general argument explained and estab- 
lished : prerogative of the Church in prudential regulations • 75 
Application of this prerogative to the case of class meetings • • • 96 

CHAPTER IV. 

THE OBLIGATION OF CLASS MEETINGS : SECOND GENERAL ARGUMENT. 
FURTHER ARGUMENTS. 

Ground of the second general argument explained and estab- 
lished : design of class meetings. • 114 

Obligation of class meetings securely placed upon the ground of 
their design • •<?•••• 125 

Further arguments. • • . .. . • 133 

5 



6 Contents. 

chapter v. 

OBJECTIONS TO CLASS MEETINGS CONSIDERED: PRUDENCE REQUISITE 
IN EXCLUDING FOR NON-ATTENDANCE. 

Objections considered Page 146 

Prudence requisite in applying the rule which enjoins exclu- 
sion for non-attendance. • • • 160 

CHAPTER VI. 

THE BENEFITS OF CLASS MEETINGS. 

Useful training for the young and inexperienced 166 

Christian communion and self-examination 170 

Preservation from delinquency: reclamation of the delinquent- 179 

Suitable exercise of Christian graces and talents 184 

Relations of class meetings to pastoral and disciplinary offices -190 
Relations of class meetings to Methodism 195 

CHAPTER VII. 

THE MODE OF CONDUCTING CLASS MEETINGS. 

Mode of conducting them in view of their design 200 

Mode of conducting them in order to the greatest good 208 

CHAPTER VIII. 

THE DUTIES OF LEADERS AND MEMBERS. 

Duties of leaders 214 

Duties of members. • 221 



INTRODUCTION. 



Methodism is a wonderful system, a marvel- 
ous example of the power and efficacy of simple 
truth when owned and blessed of God. Small 
in its beginning, its progress among all classes 
of people has far exceeded the expectations of 
its best friends. In little more than one cen- 
tury it has caused itself to be extensively 
known, felt, and respected in Europe and 
America, and partially so in other nations of 
the earth. All this, too, in humble reliance 
upon God, it has accomplished by its own in- 
herent energy and heavenly influence, without 
the pomp of ceremony, the patronage of wealth, 
or the controlling power of civil legislation. 
All it asks of the ruling powers of this world 
is to be let alone, left free to exert its own sav- 
ing power, and operate on its own principles of 
truth and righteousness. "The kingdom of 
God cometh not with observation." The chief 
glory of Methodism is its spiritual vitality, its 
saving efficacy, developing itself in the new 
hearts and reformed lives of its subjects to an 



8 Introduction. 

extent that demonstrates the divine sanction of 
its truth and rich blessing of Heaven upon its 
practical operations. While millions of souls, 
gathered from the ranks of Methodism, have 
been safely housed in heaven, and millions 
more are on their way to glory, as fruits of its 
direct operation, it has indirectly imparted new 
light, energy, and saving influence to all the 
evangelical Churches of Protestant Christen- 
dom, which previously possessed the form, but 
were well-nigh destitute of the power of god- 
liness, till they lighted their torches at her fires. 
Such is the influence of Methodism, that, while 
the votaries of other systems have affected to 
despise it, they have, in self-defense against its 
encroachments, though, perhaps, imperceptibly 
to themselves, adopted more or less of its 
usages. Who ever heard of traveling home 
missionaries, anxious seats, or inquiring meet- 
ings, till the Methodists waked them up with 
their itinerancy, mourners' bench, and class 
meetings ? We wish our sister Churches suc- 
cess in the enterprise. It is better, perhaps, to 
have an imperfect imitation of the excellent 
originals than to be wholly destitute. 

Yet Methodism is not a new Gospel, but the 
primitive, apostolical system revived, after 
being smothered for ages under such masses of 



Introduction. 9 

forms and superstitious ceremonies, such crude 
notions of its doctrines and admixture of 
worldly wisdom, as well-nigh extinguished its 
vitality. With us, at least, Methodism is 
Christianity untrammeled; and unadulterated 
Methodism, as it came from our fathers, is 
"pure religion." It is peculiar for the clear- 
ness and consistency of its doctrines, as well as 
the simple and forcible manner in which they 
are usually delivered from the pulpit, without 
the incumbrance of notes ; and, though power- 
fully resisted at first by ignorance and preju- 
dice, they are now very generally received as 
true by those who have examined them in the 
spirit of candor, and compared them with the 
sacred Scriptures, the only infallible rule of 
faith. It also teaches and imparts to its sub- 
jects an experience of grace according to god- 
liness, sound and evangelical — one that changes 
the heart, reforms the life, removes the sting of 
death, and affords an assurance of present ac- 
ceptance by the direct witness of the Holy 
Spirit. Its usages are simple and convenient, 
yet solemn and impressive, so that her public 
worship and social service may all be performed 
"decently and in order." Its moral discipline, 
too, is wholesome, exerting a salutary restraint 
on all its subjects, and is probably enforced 



10 Introduction. 

with more strictness than that of any other 
system, yet without oppressing any who seek 
conformity to the precepts of the Gospel. Its 
prudential regulations are the result of experi- 
ence, adopted from time to time, as occasion 
required, and not as speculative theory sug- 
gested, and are, therefore, founded in wisdom 
and attended with much practical good to all 
who properly observe them. Among the pru- 
dential regulations of Methodism, the institu- 
tion of class meetings is one of the most prom- 
inent. "Watch-nights and love-feasts, though 
of less frequent occurrence, are, in their proper 
place, highly beneficial; but class meeting, 
coming statedly one day in every week, is of 
still greater importance to our members. It 
affords an hour for self-examination, prayer, 
praise, and religious conversation with our 
most intimate Christian friends, free from the 
restraints imposed by a public assembly; for 
while serious inquirers after salvation are al- 
lowed to be present a few times, to inform 
themselves as to its duties and privileges, with- 
out any obligation to become members, all 
triflers with sacred things are excluded. Here, 
where only pious friends are presumed to be 
present, where all would help and none would 
hinder us in the pursuit of spiritual life, we 



Introduction. 11 

can freely talk over our hopes and fears, trials 
and deliverances, resolutions and prospects in 
the way to heaven. In a word, we may safely 
and prudently state our case as it is, whether 
encouraging or otherwise, and thereby secure 
the sympathizing prayers, counsels, exhorta- 
tions, or admonitions of those in whom we 
have most confidence ; and thus the friends of 
Jesus " edify one another," and that which is 
lame is healed, and not turned out of the way. 
Now, they who see no advantage to the pro- 
fessor or seeker of salvation in all this, must 
know little of the human heart, and still less 
of experimental and practical godliness and the 
Scripture, and appropriate means of promoting 
it. Myriads of souls in heaven, and multi- 
tudes still on their way, bless God and his 
Church, and will forever bless them, for the 
benefits derived through these nurseries of 
piety. No system affords so many helps to 
a godly life, so much aid to holy living, as 
Methodism, nor yet such numerous checks to 
lukewarmness or lifeless formality. They who 
are content with a name to live while they are 
dead find in her courts no rest for the sole of 
their feet. There is no room for idlers. They 
must engage in working out their own salva- 
tion with fear and trembling, while God works 



12 Introduction. 

in them to will and to do, or they must become 
weary of reproof, and get out of the way. But 
to such as inquire seriously what they must do 
to be saved, Methodism presents all the ordi- 
nances and privileges of any other evangelical 
system, with the important addition of the an- 
nual watch meeting, the quarterly love-feast, 
and the weekly class meeting, all of which are 
very choice Christian privileges, especially the 
last named, and are so regarded by such as 
know them best. 

The rules and usages of Methodism may be 
too stringent to suit the views and feelings of 
some who are sticklers for liberty or love to be 
at ease in Zion, but not for the accomplishment 
of its benevolent purpose to spread Scripture 
holiness over all lands. It has been occasion- 
ally intimated, that if we would dispense with 
some of our rules and usages, the Methodist 
Episcopal Church would become the most pop- 
ular of any in the United States. Among the 
things objected to by some are, the rule against 
the use of superfluous ornaments, the usage of 
holding our peculiar Church meetings, namely, 
love-feasts and class meetings, with closed 
doors, and the rule requiring our members to 
meet in classes for weekly examination into 
their spiritual progress. It is thought by many 



Introduction. 13 

that if these and such like requirements were 
out of the way, that people would throng the 
doors of our Church by thousands. Perhaps 
they would. That is what we are afraid of, 
and what we aim to prevent ; for then persons 
without piety, without religious principle even, 
would readily avail themselves of the influence 
arising from Church membership, because 
cheap ; it would require but little sacrifice of 
worldly pleasure; there would be but few 
crosses to bear, or duties to perform. Many 
would, then, join for the sake of a popular 
minister, who would not now join the Church 
for her own sake ; but unfortunately they would 
be little or none the better for it. Such as are 
in earnest to be saved from sin and to gain 
heaven on Gospel terms, are content with the 
Church as it is, and they who are not in earnest 
are unsuitable to share the privileges of Church 
members. What would it avail to receive 
multitudes of people into the Church, half 
awakened, but slightly penitent, unbelieving 
and without any fixed purpose to lead new 
lives, but merely wishingto float with the tide 
of popular feeling, and to be called by the 
name of Christ to take away their reproach? 
The Church is of little use to such members, 
and they are of no use to it. They are not to 



14 Introduction. 

be relied on when the Church needs help; they 
have no principle of action to hold them in the 
day of her adversity, and no grace to bind 
them to her interest. Their religion is like the 
morning cloud and the early dew that soon 
pass away. Thus, by reducing the standard 
of piety and relaxing the obligation of duty to 
meet popular prejudice, we should burden our- 
selves with useless lumber, cripple our system, 
lose our power with God and with men, and 
defeat our main object — the glory of God in 
the salvation of souls. To blot out these pecu- 
liarities of Methodism, would be like removing 
a stone from the center of an arch — it would 
weaken the whole system. "We wish such, and 
only such, to become Methodists as will em- 
brace Methodism for its own intrinsic excel- 
lence, and then abide its results through weal 
and woe. If slight modification of its polity be- 
come necessary to meet new circumstances, let 
it be made from time to time by the proper au- 
thority; but let not her distinguishing pecu- 
liarities be marred to make peace with the 
world. We love Methodism as it was, as it is, 
and as, we trust, it ever will be, in all of its es- 
sential features at least. As to the peculiar 
institution of class meeting, whether we view 
it in its spiritual, pastoral, disciplinary, busi- 



Introduction. 15 

ness, or social aspect, it is of vast importance 
to us. Nothing, indeed, could supply its place, 
or fill the vacuum which its removal would oc- 
casion in the system of Church polity of which 
it is a distinguishing feature. Settled pastors 
over single congregations may do without it, 
but itinerant, interchanging pastors, having 
charge of numerous flocks, to be visited peri- 
odically, in order to perform their pastoral la- 
bor, find it indispensable to divide their socie- 
ties into smaller companies, called classes, ac- 
cording to their respective places of abode, and 
appoint leaders to look after them in their ab- 
sence. These weekly meetings are to the Church 
w T hat schools are to colleges, and military train- 
ing, by companies, is to an army — indispensable 
to her prosperity. 

That good, religious people of other Churches, 
and some well-disposed people of no Church, 
do not like class meeting is readily admitted. 
What else could be calculated on? How could 
we expect people to appreciate what they have 
never tested and do not understand? To place 
a proper estimate upon class meeting, it must 
be known, not by the representation of preju- 
diced or uninformed persons, but practically. 
But whatever plea may be made for others, we 
have no excuse on the score of ignorance. We 



16 IlSTTBODUCTIOX. 

understand the institution; have proved its 
great value; and if we willfully neglect to 
avail ourselves of the privilege it affords, it is 
because the light in us has become darkness ; 
and how great is that darkness! In other 
Churches, the best members are most attentive 
to their respective social and Church meetings, 
while such as absent themselves habitually, 
are, at most, regarded but as nominal mem- 
bers. So it is with us likewise. It is a fact 
that can not be concealed or successfully con- 
troverted, that the most faithful, useful, and 
influential Methodists, are most devoted to our 
peculiar meetings, especially the weekly class, 
and most punctual to attend, while the luke- 
warm, worldly-minded, and disaffected, are least 
disposed to enjoy the privilege. Good mem- 
bers may be deprived of their class privilege 
by age, infirmity, sickness, or unavoidable hin- 
derance, and timidity may, for a time, keep 
back some worthy young members; but with 
most delinquents, the great difficulty is want 
of disposition to attend. All willful delin- 
quents in this duty, who have not a reasonable 
excuse, violate the terms of the compact be- 
tween them and the Church. They are admit- 
ted first on trial, six months, the rules being 
read to them quarterly, and then received as 



INTRODUCTION. 17 

members on examination before the Church, 
they professing to believe her doctrines, and 
pledging themselves to keep her rules. With- 
out consenting to these conditions in the pres- 
ence of their brethren, they could never obtain 
membership among us. If they keep their 
promise of conformity to rule, the Church will 
be a nursing mother unto them, and do them 
good as long as they live ; but if they break the 
covenant by willfully and habitually absenting 
themselves from the weekly class meeting, and 
can not be reclaimed, the Church may be placed 
under the disagreeable necessity of putting 
them away, lest their pernicious example cor- 
rupt others. 

Now, what wrong would be done to such 
members by excluding them, according to dis- 
ciplinary rule in such case made and provided ? 
None whatever. In those communities where 
the people erect houses of worship, organize 
themselves into Churches, make their own min- 
isters as they do their doctors and lawyers, then 
call and settle them, and finally dismiss them 
at pleasure, the lukewarm members may pro- 
claim independence, and sustain each other in 
their delinquency ; but our system is very dif- 
ferent from this. None of us are educated for 
the ministry, though such as are called of God 



18 Introduction. 

to the work become educated in the ministry ; 
do not wait for the call of the people, but go 
out and call them to repentance, faith, and 
Gospel obedience in the name of Christ. 
When converts are multiplied, and wish to 
come under our pastoral oversight, we explain 
the terms on which they can be received and 
retained; we agree to preach, administer the 
ordinances, and watch over them as pastors, so 
long as they avoid evil of every kind, do works 
meet for repentance, and attend all the ap- 
pointed means of grace. They understand 
perfectly, that to retain the privileges they must 
fulfill the conditions, and that to fail in the 
latter is to forfeit the former. "What just 
ground of complaint have such delinquents if 
the Church should exclude them? Churches 
are voluntary associations. No one becomes a 
member against his will; nor can he be re- 
tained against his consent ; but the Church has 
some rights as well as individual members. 
Church rules are not enforced in this country 
by fining or imprisonment. There are no in- 
quisitions nor tortures tolerated in the United 
States. The heaviest penalty inflicted for the 
worst crime, in ecclesiastical jurisprudence, is 
expulsion, and that creates no civil disability. 
The Church, at most, can only leave the 



Introduction. 19 

offender beyond her pale, where she first found 
him.- But, in the case now under considera- 
tion, for neglect of class meeting, there is no 
expulsion as in case of crime, but simply a pro- 
vision to "lay him aside, showing that he is 
excluded for disobedience to the order of Dis- 
cipline, and not expelled for immoral conduct," 
thus tenderly regarding both feeling and repu- 
tation. 

The Treatise on Class Meetings is well-timed. 
Recently the tendency every-where is to un- 
settle old foundations, break up or modify long 
and well-tried systems, and substitute new and 
untried theories. This we regard as a hazard- 
ous experiment. No rage for improvement or 
reform should induce us to abandon what we 
have proved to be safe and profitable till we 
are sure of obtaining something better in ex- 
change for it ; and whatever serves to check 
this reckless spirit of innovation is worthy of 
serious consideration. Such, we trust, will be 
the effect of this Treatise, which comes to hand 
opportunely. It takes the true ground; does 
not place class meetings among the sacraments, 
neither among the things expressly commanded 
by name and in form, but among the prudential 
regulations of Methodism, where it properly 
belongs. The author is content to rest the 



20 Introduction. 

institution on the general basis of holy Scripture 
as a suitable regulation for the better perform- 
ance of our pastoral work, and one both safe 
and profitable to the members. In its proper 
place as such it has not only accomplished in- 
calculable good, but has likewise become indis- 
pensably necessary to the system of Church 
polity, of which it is a prominent feature. 
Methodism is a regular system. Its doctrines, 
experience, rules, and usages are all harmoni- 
ous. Whoever embraces any part of it, to be 
consistent, should adopt the whole, and conform 
their hearts and lives to its wholesome require- 
ments, or relinquish its privileges. To change 
the rule so as to allow its professors to attend 
class meeting or not, at their own option, and 
still remain members of the Church, would be 
practically to abolish the institution itself; and 
to abolish class meeting would be virtually to 
abandon Methodism, and let our Church mem- 
bers fall back into lifeless formality. There is 
among us no better test in general of the in- 
crease or decline of spiritual life than attend- 
ance on, or absence from these social meetings. 
Whoever willfully and habitually absents him- 
self from them, is, by his brethren, regarded 
as backslidden ; and hence the rule for reclaim- 
ing or excluding him as a useless member, to 



Introduction. 21 

make him fruitful, or to cut him off as a withered 
branch. Let no one, under a mistaken notion 
of improving Methodism, seek to have this 
test of membership done away, unless he pre- 
fers careless and worldly-minded professors of 
religion to living stones of the temple of God. 



TREATISE 

ON 

CLASS MEETINGS. 

CHAPTER I. 

THE SOCIAL PRINCIPLE UPON WHICH CLASS 
MEETINGS ABE INSTITUTED. 

SECTION L 
THE SOCIAL PEINCIPLE. 

Social capacities and tendencies are strongly 
and strikingly characteristic of man ; and it is 
hereby sufficiently indicated that Providence 
intended the social condition of the race. We 
are not formed nor intended to live each alone, 
in the seclusion of solitude. In such a state 
many of the best and noblest principles of our 
nature would be worse than useless. But few 
things exist in separate, independent states- 
One thing exists in relation to another. It has 
its character and course in view of the charac- 
ter and course of another. The existence and 
character of the one requires and assumes the 

existence and character of the other. There is 

23 



24 Class Meetings. 

a relationship between the eye and the light. 
Without the one we could know nothing of the 
other. Either would, without the other, be 
totally useless to all the purposes and interests 
of vision ; and so of the endowments and of- 
fices of man which look to the social state. 
Without this state, these endowments can not 
be employed — -these offices can not be fulfilled. 
Our powers of mind, that might be employed 
for the guidance and good of each other, could 
not, in a condition of disseverance, be turned 
to any such beneficent purpose. Our affections 
of philanthropy and patriotism, of benevolence 
and pity, of sympathy and charity, of gratitude 
and love, must lie dead, or live unproductive 
of any fruits as blessings to each other. 

This principle of association among men is a 
common and familiar one. It has often been 
adopted and acted upon as a bond of union 
and a measure of strength, and has ever devel- 
oped itself as most efficient and productive. 
Without it, men are like the rods in the fable- 
exceeding fragile and quickly broken; but 
with it, and thereby closely united and strongly 
banded together, they are mighty in strength. 
It is thus that the greatest objects of human 
effort have been achieved. Thus governments 
have been formed, and extended abroad in 



Their Social Principle. 25 

their far-reaching sway. Thus tyrants have 
been dethroned and crushed, the bands of 
slavery broken, the burdens of bondage thrown 
off, and the principles and privileges .of right, 
and equity, and liberty secured and established. 

In the more private relationships and con- 
cerns of life, men are, by association, mutual 
helps and comforts to each other. Their com- 
bined wisdom, and strength, and goodness be- 
come a common stock — a common source of 
supply. The young are trained and instructed 
by the experience and prudence of the aged; 
the ignorant are guided by the counsel of the 
wise ; the weak are protected by the might of 
the strong ; the poor are supplied by the benev- 
olence and charities of the rich ; the sick and 
the suffering are relieved and comforted by the 
sympathies and kindnesses of the healthful and 
the happy. 

How infinitely better is a well-formed, social 
state, than solitude or anarchy ! Solitude is a 
condition directly contrary to our true charac- 
ter and destiny — one in which we can never 
find our own well-being, nor render to others 
that help to which we are obliged by our na- 
ture and relations to them, and by the will of 
God. It is a condition so unnatural and re- 
pulsive as never to be sought, except through 



26 Class Meetings. 

the force of guilt, or bewildering griefs, or some 
mental delusion and fanaticism. To throw men 
together in a state of disorder and antagonism, 
is equally contrary to their character and de- 
structive to their well-being. It is only when 
intimately united in a well-ordered, social state 
that their true happiness can be secured. It is 
thus that the heavens are harmonious, and beam 
with brightness and glory. The sun and the 
planets that circle around it exist and move in 
orderly relation to each other. The stars, and 
suns, and systems that sweep far away through 
the distances of space, all exist in relationship, 
all move in harmony with each other. Here 
prevails the social principle; here is society 
through all these systems. Break up their well- 
adjusted relationships, and turn them from the 
courses of social order and harmony in which 
they move; let them come clashing one with 
another, or wander away each alone, and all 
would be confusion and ruin, or darkness and 
solitude. Equally fatal would it be to the wel- 
fare of man to deprive him of a well-ordered 
social state, or to break up the order and har- 
mony that spring from that state. 

Association is a measure to which men of 
kindred sympathies and purposes are led by a 
natural and common impulse. Thus, when 



Theie Social Principle. 27 

interested upon any common subject, or when in 
earnest for the achievement of any particular 
end, they have united together, not only by the 
association of their names upon the same roll, 
or meeting in public assemblage, but they have 
sought a direct, personal intercourse for their 
mutual encouragement and support. Much 
evil would be avoided if men did not so often 
avail themselves of this measure for corrupt 
and wicked purposes; and a greatly-increased 
amount of good would be accomplished if those 
aiming to be and to do good would always 
adopt it, and thus reap the rich fruits which 
it is so eminently calculated to produce. 

SECTION II. 

THE SOCIAL PRINCIPLE IN RELIGION. 

The Church is founded upon the social prin- 
ciple. It is a society, or collection of societies. 
Religion is eminently social. The great body 
of its virtues and duties — such as constitute 
and adorn the Christian character and fill up 
the measure of Christian requirements — have 
immediate respect to the social state. "Where 
may we, except in the social state, possess and 
exercise that charity without which there is no 
true religion — that charity " which suffereth 
long and is kind, which beareth all things, 



28 Class Meetings. 

believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth 
all things?" Where may we, except here, "let 
cmr light shine before men," and bless them by 
our example and admonition? Where else 
may we "rejoice with them that do rejoice, and 
weep with them that weep," or "be kindly-af- 
fectioned one to another with brotherly-love?" 
Where else may "we bear one another's bur- 
dens, and so fulfill the law of Christ?" 

And it is only by this measure of association 
that the great ends of religion can be accom- 
plished, and its great interests secured. In re- 
ligion pre-eminently there is strength in associ- 
ation. One who shall chase a thousand is, 
indeed, mighty; but how vastly more mighty 
are two who shall put ten thousand to flight! 
There are rare instances where one servant of 
God, acting alone, has accomplished great 
things. Thus Elijah stood alone against the 
prophets of Baal, and the array of royalty, and 
the people, and signally triumphed over them. 
But usually the great enterprises of religion 
are carried on, and the signal triumphs of truth 
achieved, by the more general union of the 
people of God. Thus, when Israel went forth 
in concert, and were together true to their God 
and to their common cause, they ever triumphed 
over their foes. While the disciples of Christ 



Their Social Principle. 29 

waited with one accord, in one place, the prom- 
ised baptism of the Spirit came upon them ; 
and while they went forth, in unison of spirit 
and purpose, and proclaimed the word of truth, 
it came in power, and was glorified in the sal- 
vation of many. And it is thus, through the 
principle of association, that the great, benevo- 
lent, and evangelical enterprises of the Church 
are in operation and development, and carrying 
abroad, to the benighted nations of the earth, 
the rich and precious blessings of religion. 

We may well express our surprise that a 
measure so important in itself, and so conso- 
nant to the true character of religion, should 
be so much overlooked or disregarded. Partic- 
ularly is there a surprising neglect or disregard 
of that intimate, personal, Christian association 
which is so in character with religion, and so 
important to us. As Christians, encompassed 
with infirmities, and encountering many adverse 
influences common to us all, we need all the 
helps, the comforts, and encouragements of an 
intimate association ; we need all the support, 
the protection, and defense of this element of 
great strength. And the very spirit of the 
religion which we profess, and all the affections 
of brotherly-kindness and charity which it in- 
spires, and all our common sympathies and 



30 Class Meetings. 

interests, prompt us to seek such association. 
And it is only when we are thus united that 
our religion can have fair and full exercise, so 
as to produce all its gracious results. These 
sentiments are well expressed in Dr. Alexan- 
der's " Evidences of Christianity:" 

" Christians need the aid of the social prin- 
ciple to fix their attention, to create an interest, 
and to excite the feelings of devotion. The 
truth is, that if the heart be affected with lively 
emotions of piety, it will be pleasant, it will be 
useful, and it will be natural to give them ex- 
pression. This will hold in regard to philoso- 
phers and men of learning, as well as others. 
Wherever a number of persons participate in 
the same feelings, there is a strong inclination 
to hold communion together; and, if senti- 
ments of genuine piety exist in the bosoms of 
many, they will delight to celebrate in unison 
the praises of that Being whom they love anjl 
adore. There is no reason why pious emotions, 
more than others, should be smothered, and 
the tendency to express them counteracted. 
Such, indeed, will never be the fact. ' Out of 
the abundance of the heart the mouth speak- 
eth. 5 Piety, it is true, consists essentially in 
the exercises of the heart; but that religion 
which is merely mental is suspicious — at best 



Their Social Principle. 31 

very feeble — is not likely to produce any per- 
manent effect on the character or comfort of the 
person entertaining it, and can not be useful to 
others in the way of example." 

SECTION III. 

THE SOCIAL PRINCIPLE IN CLASS MEETINGS. 

Class meetings form an important part of 
Methodist economy ; especially of what is pe- 
culiar to that economy. In their requirements 
and provisions, in their duties and privileges, 
they pertain alike to every member, and ad- 
dress themselves directly to the Christian expe- 
rience and character of all. The custom of 
weekly meetings, for purposes of personal, 
Christian intercourse, w T here the subject of com- 
munion is religious experience and deportment, 
and where all the exercises of communion, of 
exhortation, and encouragement are character- 
ized by that plainness and candor which earn- 
est religious interest and mutual confidence 
inspire, must produce a strong and benign in- 
fluence upon all properly engaged in these 
exercises. 

The principle of Christian association being 
common, more or less, to the various branches 
of the Church, can not be claimed as a pecu- 
liarity of Methodism. The degree to which 



32 Class Meetings. 

Methodism adopts it, and the mode through 
which she avails herself of it, form its peculiar- 
ity to her. She avails herself of the principle 
specially through her class meetings ; and here 
it is done to an extraordinary degree ; and there 
is hereby supplied to our societies that of which 
there is a great lack in many others. 

It seems to us plain that the social principle 
in religion, as it obtains in various branches of 
the Church, is far below what it should be — 
that it fails, in a great measure, to secure that 
intimacy of Christian communion which ac- 
cords with our relation to each other as the 
children of God, and which has often been ex- 
emplified in the history of the Church. As 
Christians, we sustain an intimate and endeared 
relation to each other. It is more than that 
existing between members of the same commu- 
nity or commonwealth ; it is that sustained to 
each other by members of the same family. 
" Fellow-citizens with the saints "we are; but 
we are more; we are members, in common, 
" of the household of God." We are alike the 
children of God and brethren in Christ; and 
we are, therefore, exhorted to cultivate that 
unity and communion and to cherish toward 
each other those brotherly affections which are 
proper to this intimacy of relationship. "I, 



Their Social Principle. 33 

therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech 
you that ye walk worthy of the vocation 
w^herew^ith ye are called with all lowliness 
and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing 
one another in love ; endeavoring to keep the 
unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There 
is one body and one spirit, even as ye are 
called in one hope of your calling — one Lord, 
one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of 
all, who is above all, and through all, and in 
you all." Again we are exhorted thus: "Let 
brotherly-love continue," and " Be kindly-affec- 
tioned one to another, with brotherly-love." 
u Christian love has its most obvious analogy 
with the domestic affections in its sense of re- 
lationship, as brethren, through one who is re- 
lated equally to all, as Head." Such is the 
nearness of relationship between Christians, 
such the affections that they should cherish 
toward each other, and such the intimacy of 
association they should seek, as answering to 
this relationship and as prompted by these af- 
fections. And it is only when in the possession 
and exercise of all this that they can realize the 
privileges of their common brotherhood in 
Christ. 

This intimacy of fellowship in Christ, this 
ardor and kindness of brotherly affection, have 



34 Class Meetings. 

often been exemplified in the history of the 
Church. "Then they that feared the Lord 
spake often one to another." Here is an in- 
stance among the godly of the Jewish Church. 
The details are not given; yet, from the gen- 
eral statement, and from the circumstances of 
the times, we are warranted in the belief of an 
intimate, brotherly association among these 
people of God. "Witness the meetings of the 
disciples, where Christ came and stood in their 
midst. Here are evidences of the same broth- 
erly communion and love. Thus, too, when the 
day of Pentecost was fully come, the disciples 
were all together, with one accord, in one place ; 
and, after the addition of three thousand upon the 
day of Pentecost, the same heavenly fellowship 
was kept up. " And they continued steadfastly 
in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in 
breaking of bread, and in prayers. . . And all 
that believed were together, and had all things 
common, and sold their possessions and goods, 
and parted them to all men, as every man had 
need. And they, continuing daily with one 
accord in the temple, and breaking bread from 
house to house, did eat their meat with glad- 
ness and singleness of heart, praising God, and 
having favor with all the people." The early 
history of the Christian Church furnishes many 






Their Social Principle. 35 

other instances of like fellowship. They are 
also furnished at different times through the 
whole progress of the Church. They were par- 
ticularly revived under Mr. Wesley. Intimate 
association was highly characteristic of his 
earlier religious meetings. It was a great lead- 
ing measure in that wonderful reformation so 
gloriously wrought out through his instrument- 
ality. He found that, by an intimate associa- 
tion of those who were awakened and turned to 
the Lord, the work of reformation was far more 
permanent, efficient, and successful. Such is 
the account Mr. Wesley has furnished us him- 
self. Those who were awakened to the import- 
ance of religion, particularly sought his in- 
struction and direction ; and he says, "I asked, 
i Which of you desire this ? Let me know your 
names, and places of abode. 5 They did so ; but 
I soon found they were too many for me to talk 
with severally so often as they wanted it. So I 
told them, 'If you will all of you come to- 
gether every Thursday, in the evening, I will 
gladly spend some time with you in prayer, and 
give you the best advice I can.' 

" Thus arose, without any previous design on 
either side, what was afterward called a soci- 
ety; a very innocent name, and very common 
in London for any number of people associating 



36 Class Meetings. 

themselves together. The thing proposed, in 
their associating themselves together, was ob- 
vious to every one. They wanted to ' flee from 
the wrath to come, 5 and to assist each other in 
so doing. They, therefore, united themselves, 
c in order to pray together, to receive the word 
of exhortation, and to watch over one another 
in love, that they might help each other to 
work out their salvation. 5 

"It quickly appeared, that their thus uniting 
together answered the end proposed therein. 
In a few months the far greater part of those 
who had begun to c fear God and work right- 
eousness, 5 but were not united together, grew 
faint in their minds, and fell back into what 
they were before. Meanwhile, the far greater 
part of those who were thus united together 
continued 'striving to enter in at the strait 
gate, 5 and to 'lay hold on eternal life. 5 55 Here 
was the measure, and here were the benefits ot 
an intimate Christian association. 

There surely is great danger of falling fai 
below this measure of Christian association. 
Often the tone of piety and the external cir- 
cumstances of the Church are both unfavora- 
ble to it. It is only an earnest tone of religion, 
and an ardent state of Christian affections, that 
will lead us to seek such association. As 



Their Social Principle. 37 

experimental religion declines, and the intensity 
of the religious affections abates, the children 
of God will find themselves drawn away from 
each other; they will so far lose even their 
relish for "the communion of saints." This is 
a truth that accords with much personal experi- 
ence, and is supported by the most extended ob- 
servation uj3on Christian denominations. Then, 
whenever Christian experience, earnestness, 
and enjoyment decline, and the religious affec- 
tions lose their fervency, the true social princi- 
ple, in religion, is in danger; it must so far 
be weakened, and fail of its preserving and 
sustaining efficiency, and of its abundant good 
fruits. Here, then, upon these grounds, there 
is great danger to the principle of true Chris- 
tian association. It is sadly in accordance with 
Christian experience, and with the history of 
the various Churches, that there is ever a tend- 
ency to fall below — far below — the true stand- 
ard of Christian experience and enjoyment, 
brotherly kindness and love. And the liabil- 
ity to this is only the greater, in the absence of 
some efficient measure of Christian commun- 
ion, which may serve to cultivate and develop 
our religious experience, and our brotherly love 
and care for each other. And in this the 
Churches generally are greatly deficient. 



38 Class Meetings. 

But we apprehend the greater danger now, 
to the true principle of Christian association, 
from the state of the Church in relation to so- 
ciety or the world. There have been many 
periods in the history of the Church, when the 
pressure of circumstances from without brought 
Christians close together in intimate commun- 
ion, and earnest concern and sympathy for each 
other. These were the times when the powers 
of oppression were employed, and the fires of 
persecution were kindled against the children 
of God. Then, especially, they sought to be 
one in Christ. Then they sought for comfort 
and support in a close fellowship, and in their 
mutual sympathies and love. At such times 
Christians have come together as a common 
brotherhood — as members of the same family. 
The history of the spiritual and godly part of 
the Church furnishes a continuous illustration 
of this truth. "The relative condition of the 
Christian body, as hitherto it has existed in the 
world, gives it always much of the feeling that 
belongs to a family, or a small and distinct 
community, barely tolerated, and unkindly re- 
ceived, in a foreign land. Every -where a small 
minority, and every-where, if not outraged, 
scorned, and holding, in common, a bright 
hope, which the mass of mankind treats with 



Their Social Principle. 39 

contempt, Christians, in proportion to the vivac- 
ity of their faith, can not but cling together as 
partners in obloquy and danger. This feeling 
is distinctly seen in operation, even where ex- 
ternal circumstances most tend to repress it; 
nor is there any sphere within which spiritually- 
minded persons do not feel that they need each 
other's aid and affection, as a support against 
the hostility that surrounds them. It is no 
misanthropic sentiment which compels them to 
close their ranks, and present a front of de- 
fense against the malignant crowd that hems 
them in. 'Behold,' said their Lord, 'I send 
you forth as sheep among wolves ;' nor has an 
age yet passed over the Church which afforded 
no exemplification of the truth thus conveyed." 
(Isaac Taylor.) 

Such has been, almost constantly, the condi- 
tion of the Church. But is not that condition 
now much changed? The numbers of the 
Church are greatly increased. Her social po- 
sition and influence are elevated and enlarged. 
The Church has greatly influenced the society 
without her pale ; and that society, in its turn, 
tends greatly to influence her. Thus there is a 
mutual approximation. The consequences are 
these: Christians are drawn away to mingle 
more freely in the society of the world; and, 



40 Class Meetings. 

by so much, they are drawn away from an in- 
timate association w r ith each other. All this is 
very plain, and needs no further illustration. 
Here, then, is the great danger, at present, to 
the true principle of Christian association. It 
arises from the present position of the Church 
in relation to society or the world. 

ISTow, against both these sources of danger 
and evil, every branch of the Church should 
make the best provision possible. And the 
provision to be made, is some measure that will 
most efficiently preserve the principle of inti- 
mate Christian association, and most effectually 
deepen and develop our religious experience 
and brotherly affection, and call forth our love 
and sympathy for each other. And thus our 
Christian association will efficiently promote the 
very principles which, in turn, will strengthen 
and support it. 

As stated above, the measure provided in 
our branch of the Church, in order to secure 
these great objects, is specially the institution 
of class meetings. This measure has great ad- 
vantages; it has the elements of peculiar ad- 
aptation and efficiency. The meetings of our 
classes are stated and regular. The duty of 
attendance extends alike to all. The subjects 
of communion are religious experience and 



Theib Social Principle. 41 

deportment. Here plainly is true Christian as- 
sociation. And thus the principles of religious 
experience, and the strength of Christian affec- 
tions, are promoted, which, in turn, strengthen 
and sustain it. And some such measure — some 
provision of similar adaptation and results, 
seems to us indispensable to the higher spirit- 
uality and piety, the higher prosperity and 
welfare of every branch of the Church. "We 
may here well adopt the following quotation 
from " Notes on the Discipline," by Bishops 
Coke and Asbury. "We have made many 
remarks, in the course of our work, on the ne- 
cessity of Christian fellowship; but this can 
not be carried on to any considerable advant- 
age, without stated solemn times of assembling. 
The meetings, held for this purpose, must have 
a name to distinguish them. We call ours 
class meetings and hand meetings; but of the 
former we are to speak at present. Here we 
must notice, that it is the thing itself — Chris- 
tian fellowship — and not the name, which we 
contend for. The experience of about sixty 
years has fully convinced us of its necessity; 
and we ourselves can say that, in the course of 
an extensive acquaintance with men and things, 
and the Church of God, for about twenty or 
thirty years, we have rarely met with one who 



42 Class Meetings. 

has been much devoted to God, and at the 
same time not united in close Christian fellow- 
ship to some religious society or other. Far be 
it from us to suppose that no fellowship meet- 
ings except ours are owned of God. So illib- 
eral a sentiment never entered our minds. But 
we must say, that those who entirely neglect 
this divinely-instituted ordinance — however va- 
rious the names given to it, or the modes of 
conducting it, may be— manifest that they are 
either ashamed to acknowledge as their brethren 
the true children of God, or ' are the enemies 
of the cross of Christ.' They wish to keep up 
a correspondence with the world which Chris- 
tian discipline could not long tolerate, or they 
can not bear to have their wounds probed to 
the bottom, that the balm of Gilead — the heal- 
ing wine and oil of the Gospel — may be ap- 
plied by the divine Physician, ' and the blood 
of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, cleanse them 
from all sin.' " 

We have dwelt thus long upon this subject, 
because we wished to develop somewhat this 
great fundamental, living principle of Christian 
association upon which class meetings are in- 
stituted. We wished, also, to indicate, with 
some clearness, how fully and how efficiently 
this principle was embraced in our class meet- 



Their Social Principle. 43 

ings. The fuller consideration of this point 
will, however, remain as the subject of a future 
section of this treatise. We know of no meas- 
ure, in any branch of the Church, that so fully 
and efficiently embraces and employs this indis- 
pensable principle as our class meetings. The 
principle of intimate Christian association is 
necessary to every w T ell-ordered Church govern- 
ment. Without it there can not be a high de- 
velopment of spirituality and moral force ; there 
can not be great permanence, progress, or pros- 
perity. And it is to the adoption of this prin- 
ciple, to so great an extent, and in so appro- 
priate and efficient a mode, as in her class 
meetings, that Methodism owes much of her 
vigor and growth, much of her spirituality and 
power, and, consequently, much of her effi- 
ciency in doing good. Class meetings should, 
therefore, be dear to all the friends of Method- 
ism, and should receive the hearty approval 
and support of all in her communion. 



44 Class Meetings. 



CHAPTER II. 

THE DESIGN OF CLASS MEETINGS. 
SECTION I. 

THE ORIGIN AND PRIMARY PURPOSE OF CLASS 
MEETINGS. 

The design of class meetings is not now 
what it was at their origin. They were formed 
at first from financial considerations. They 
were instituted as a measure for raising funds, 
by collections, in small sums, from the mem- 
bers generally, to meet the expenses incurred 
in the support of that glorious revival of religion 
then beginning so widely to diffuse its light and 
life through the masses of society. I will fur- 
nish the account of their origin and primary 
purpose in Mr. "Wesley's own words, from his 
" Plain Account of the People called Method- 
ists." This account will also show the great ne- 
cessity there was for class meetings, or for some 
similar institution, and the great benefits re- 
sulting from them. It is as follows : 

" But as much as we endeavored to watch 
over each other, we soon found some who did 
not live the Gospel. I do not know that any 
hypocrites were crept in ; for, indeed, there was 



Their Design. 45 

no temptation ; but some grew cold, and gave 
way to the sins winch had long easily beset 
them. We quickly perceived there were many 
ill consequences of suffering these to remain 
among us. It was dangerous to others, inas- 
much as all sin is of an infectious nature. It 
brought such a scandal on their brethren as 
exposed them to what was not properly the 
reproach of Christ. It laid a stumbling-block 
in the way of others, and caused the truth to 
be evil spoken of. 

"We groaned under these inconveniences 
long before a remedy could be found. The 
people were scattered so wide in all parts of 
the town, from Wapping to Westminster, that 
I could not easily see what the behavior of each 
person in his own neighborhood was ; so that 
several disorderly walkers did much harm 
before I was apprised of it. 

"At length, while we were thinking of quite 
another thing, we struck upon a method for 
which we have cause to bless God ever since. 
I was talking with several of the society in 
Bristol concerning the means of paying the 
debts there, when one stood up, and said, ' Let 
every member of the society give a penny a 
week till all are paid. 5 Another answered, 
'But many of them are poor, and can not 



46 Class Meetings. 

afford to do it.' 'Then,' said he, 'put eleven 
of the poorest with me ; and if they can give 
any thing, well. I will call on them weekly; 
and if they can give nothing, I will give for 
them as w r ell as for myself; and each of yon 
call on eleven of yonr neighbors weekly, re- 
ceive what they give, and make up what is 
wanting. 5 It was done. In a while, some of 
these informed me, they found such and such a 
one did not live as he ought. It struck me im- 
mediately, 'This is the thing, the very thing 
we have wanted so long. 5 I called together 
all the leaders of the classes — so we used to 
term them and their companies — and desired 
that each would make a particular inquiry into 
the behavior of those he saw w r eekly. They 
did so. Many disorderly walkers were de- 
tected. Some turned from the evil of their 
ways. Some were put away from us. Many 
saw it with fear, and rejoiced unto God with 
reverence. 

" As soon as possible, the same method was 
used in London and all other places. Evil men 
were detected and reproved. They were borne 
with for a season. If they forsook their sins, 
we received them gladly; if they obstinately 
persisted therein, it was openly declared that 
they were not of us. The rest mourned and 



Their Design. 47 

prayed for them, and yet rejoiced that, as far 
as in ns lay, the scandal was rolled away from 
the society." 

Such were the origin and the primary pur- 
pose of class meetings. A similar but much 
abbreviated account of the subject is given by 
Mr. Wesley, in his " Sermon on God's Yine- 
yard." But the above account is sufficient; 
and it is a most interesting one. We here 
learn the sad consequences resulting from a 
want of proper association among those striving 
to flee the wrath to come and to lay hold upon 
eternal life. On the other hand we see the 
happy consequences resulting from a proper 
association. In the former instance many 
turned aside from the ways of righteousness 
who, nevertheless, remained at once an infec- 
tion and scandal to the society; in the other 
instance many were preserved from such delin- 
quencies, many delinquents were reclaimed, 
and those who could not be recovered from 
their wanderings were excluded from the 
society. 

The plan, at the first institution of class 
meetings, was for the leader to go round from 
house to house, and call personally on each 
member of his class. This was the plan at 
first adopted by Mr. "Wesley in regard to those 



48 Class Meetings. 

who particularly desired his instructions upon 
the subject of their souls 5 salvation. But he 
soon found this inconvenient and burdensome. 
He, therefore, appointed a place and regular 
times of meeting, so that he might see them 
and instruct them together, and where they 
might unite in prayer and exhortation for each 
other's good. So in the instance of class meet- 
ings. It was soon found inconvenient to visit 
the members personally from house to house. 
This was specially the case after there was 
added to the primary purpose of collections the 
higher design of a strict inquiry into the relig- 
ious character of each member. In the prose- 
cution of this work great inconveniences were 
encountered ; so that here, too, the mode was 
soon changed, and a regular meeting was ap- 
pointed where the whole class might come 
together. 

Long since the first institution of class meet- 
ings, they have had another and a far higher 
aim than a mere financial one. Like many 
other peculiarities of Methodism, they were 
the creature of circumstances. Should we not 
rather say, the creature of Providence? These 
peculiarities were the creature of circumstan- 
ces so far as the plans and purposes of the 
founders of Methodism were concerned, but 



Their Design. 49 

of Providence, as so ordering and controlling 
the circumstances as graciously to bring forth 
from them the various parts of our Church 
economy. And must we not stand in admira- 
tion of that Providence which, in this instance, 
so strikingly led Mr. Wesley and those united 
with him " in a way that they had not known, 
and in paths they knew not?" They saw the 
evils besetting the work of reformation, and 
they mourned over them ; but where to find a 
remedy, or how to provide a deliverance there- 
from, they knew not. Here God interposed, 
opened up the way, and furnished the plan. 
Mr. Wesley quickly saw it. Immediately he 
says, "This is the thing, the very thing we have 
wanted so long." It flashed upon his vision as 
did the horses and chariots of fire flash on the 
vision of the servant of Elisha. 

SECTION II. 

THE DESIGN OF CLASS MEETINGS PARTICULARLY 
STATED. 

Class meetings constitute a measure through 
which to bring all the members under the im- 
mediate oversight of the Church. This over- 
sight is sought with a view to the primary 
design of discerning the religious character of 
the members ; and this discernment of the relig- 
ious character of the members is sought with 



50 Class Meetings. 

an ultimate twofold design: 1. That such as 
turn aside, or tend to turn aside, from the way 
of righteousness, may be recovered and re- 
stored; 2. That those who can not be recovered 
and restored may be separated from the Church. 
These several points, as thus stated, may be 
briefly illustrated. 

1. Class meetings constitute a measure 
through which to bring all the members under 
the immediate oversight of the Church. While 
the members of the Methodist societies were 
mainly in a separate condition, and scattered 
abroad through a large community, and subject 
only to a general pastoral care, as Church mem- 
bers mostly are, such oversight could not be 
had. This was fully realized by Mr. Wesley 
and others associated with him ; and such any 
pastor having the charge of a considerable 
number would find to be the case. He could 
not himself so mingle with them as to become 
familiar and well acquainted with all. He 
could not keep up such a watch-care over them 
as to acquire and maintain a sufficient knowl- 
edge of their religious state and deportment. 
He might be well acquainted with a few, or he 
might occasionally see his members generally, 
and, for the time, have sufficient information 
of their deportment. But they might be 



Their Design. 51 

greatly changed in their religions state and 
life long before he could see them again, and 
of which changes he must, in most instances, 
remain in ignorance. And it is not necessary 
to the truth of these remarks that we assume a 
great neglect of pastoral visitation. They are 
entirely true, though that good work be dili- 
gently prosecuted. The pastor might see his 
members frequently in the place of public 
assemblage for religious worship ; but he could 
not, from this, acquire sufficient information of 
their religious character. Thus, then, in many 
instances, the pastor could not tell whether the 
members of his charge remained steadfast and 
unmovable, or whether they trembled to their 
fall, or had already fallen ; whether they walked 
worthy of their high calling, or whether their 
lives were a reproach to the Christian pro- 
fession. 

Now, against this disability — such we may 
call it — class meetings are intended to provide. 
The entire membership of a pastoral charge is 
divided into small companies, which are placed 
under the care of suitable persons, as leaders, 
so that every member may be seen and con- 
versed with directly upon his religious char- 
acter once a week. Thus the leaders, by this 
frequent and direct intercourse with the mem- 



52 Class Meetings. 

bers, may exercise a. constant oversight, and 
acquire and maintain a sufficient knowledge of 
all; and through them the pastor may know 
the religious character of all the members 
under his care. All are thus brought under 
the direct watch-care of the Church. Class 
meetings are instituted with a view to this pur- 
pose ; and they constitute a measure that well 
serves this end. 

2. This oversight is sought with a view to 
the primary design of discerning the religious 
characters of the members. Such is the end 
specially proposed in the institution of class 
meetings ; and it is one which is thus very suc- 
cessfully achieved. As the character of all 
is hereby brought under the immediate over- 
sight of the Church, so the character of all 
may be sufficiently discerned. Strict inquiry 
is made into the religious experience of each 
member; into his trials and temptations, his 
discouragements and declinings; into his en- 
couragements and advancements, his growth in 
grace and in the knowledge of Christ. Strict 
inquiry is also made into the religious habits 
of each member; into the manner of life which 
each pursues ; whether he avoids that which is 
evil and practices that which is good ; whether 
he attends upon the ordinances of God. Thus 






Their Design. 53 

our Church proposes to acquaint herself with 
the Christian character of all her members. 
Through the institution of class meetings each 
member is brought under her immediate watch- 
care, so that he may be known — his religious 
experience and deportment inquired into and 
ascertained. 

3. This discernment of the religious char- 
acter of the members is sought with an ulti- 
mate twofold design. 

The first is, that such as turn aside, or tend 
to turn aside, may be recovered and restored. 
Temptations and trials, discouragements and 
declinings often occur in the experience of 
Christians. Through the weaknesses of their 
own nature, and the many evil influences that 
bear upon them from without, they frequently 
tend to declensions or wanderings in religion. 
Such need counsel and encouragement, support 
and comfort; and these the Church should 
promptly render. But in order to this she 
must know the religious state of her members ; 
otherwise, these duties must be neglected. It 
is, therefore, with a view to the requisite infor- 
mation for the proper performance of these 
duties, that our Church seeks to ascertain the 
religious state of her members through the 
institution of class meetings. 



54 Class Meetings. 

The second end proposed in seeking this dis- 
cernment of the religious character of the 
members is, that such as fail to give evidence 
of a proper desire of salvation, and that such as 
forsake the way of righteousness, and can not 
be recovered and restored, may be separated 
from the Church. To separate such is a duty di- 
rectly enjoined in the Scriptures. It is one that 
the Church owes to herself and to her divine 
Founder. But, in order to the proper perform- 
ance of this duty, she must maintain a constant 
watch-care over her members, that she may 
have timely information of such cases as re- 
quire an application of discipline in their ex- 
clusion. And this is an end at which our 
Church aims in seeking the discernment of the 
religious state and deportment of her members 
through the institution of class meetings. 

The design of class meetings, as stated in 
our book of Discipline, agrees with the views 
above given. The subject is thus presented in 
the Discipline: "That it may the more easily 
be discerned whether they [the members of 
the Methodist societies] are indeed working 
out their own salvation, each society is divided 
into smaller companies, called classes, one of 
whom is styled the leader. It is his duty to 
see each person in his class once a week at 



Their Design. 55 

least, in order to inquire how their souls pros- 
per; to advise, reprove, comfort, or exhort, as 
occasion may require ; to inform the minister 
of any that walk disorderly, and will not be 
reproved." The design of class meetings, as 
clearly implied in the duty of the leader, is 
further expressed thus: "Let each leader care- 
fully inquire how every soul of his class pros- 
pers; not only how each person observes the 
outward rules, but how he grows in the knowl- 
edge and love of God." 

It is plain, from these quotations, that the 
design of class meetings is the ascertainment 
of the gracious state and religious deportment 
of the several members. This is the purpose 
for which societies are divided into classes, and 
all the members brought under the immediate 
oversight of the Church, that it may the more 
easily be discerned what the religious char- 
acter of each is ; whether he is indeed working 
out his own salvation. This design is fully im- 
plied in the duties imposed upon the leaders, to 
see each person in their several classes once a 
week at least, in order to inquire how their 
souls prosper ; not only how each person ob- 
serves the outward rules, but how he grows in 
the knowledge and love of God. 

It is plain, further, that this ascertainment 



56 Class Meetings. 

of the Christian character of the members is 
sought in order that timely and suitable in- 
struction, advice, reproof, comfort, or exhorta- 
tion may be given, as the particular religious 
state or deportment of any may require, so that 
they may be delivered from their discourage- 
ments and declinings, and recovered from any 
faults or disorderly steps. It is with a direct 
view to this that it is made the duty of the 
leader particularly to inquire into the religious 
state of those placed under his care. 

Further, it is equally plain that this design 
of ascertaining the religious character of the 
members is aimed at with a direct view to the 
proper administration of discipline. The pur- 
pose is, that those who walk disorderly, and 
will not be reproved, or who, by their wicked- 
ness, bring a scandal upon the cause of Christ, 
shall be duly reported, and, according to the 
rule in the case, separated from her communion. 
Such, according to the Discipline of the Church, 
is the design of class meetings. 

This design agrees very exactly with Mr. 
"Wesley's account of their first institution, of 
the evils from which they brought deliverance, 
and the various good purposes which they 
served. It is not claimed that these are the 
only objects accomplished — the only gracious 



Their Design. 57 

results achieved ; yet it is urged that these are 
the ends designed in the institution of class 
meetings. It is cordially granted that they are 
invaluable as a mean of grace ; that their ex- 
ercises tend directly and efficiently to promote 
experimental and practical religion. Still this 
is not their primary aim. Nor is it so import- 
ant as the design stated above; the one so 
clearly set forth in our Discipline. I ask par- 
ticular attention to the point made as to the 
design of class meetings, because of its truth- 
fulness and importance; more especially be- 
cause of its pertinence and importance to fu- 
ture sections of this treatise. Could I believe 
that any one, having considered the subject, 
would dispute the position taken as to their de- 
sign, I would specially attempt its defense. 
But it seems to me so exactly to accord with 
the language of the Discipline as to leave no 
room for doubt, or for any difference of opin- 
ion. 

section in. 

CLASS MEETINGS NOT A CONFESSIONAL. 

It has often been charged by priests of the 
Papacy, that our class meetings are a corrupted 
form of the confessional. Several things are 
implied in this charge: 1. There is an assump- 
tion that the Papal confessional is a genuine, 



58 Class Meetings. 

divine institution ; 2. That class meetings are, 
in some mode and measure, a confessional; 3. 
That class meetings are a corrupted form of the 
confessional, inasmuch as they differ from the 
Papal. These several points may be briefly 
considered ; particularly as this will afford an 
opportunity further to show the true, Scriptural 
design of our class meetings. 

There is here, then, an assumption that the 
Papal confessional is a genuine, Scriptural, 
divine institution. As the charge of a coun- 
terfeit coin implies a genuine and authorized 
one, which is counterfeited, so the charge of a 
corrupted form of the confessional assumes a 
true and authorized confessional, of which it is 
a corruption. And the assumption here, of 
course, is, that the Papal confessional is a true 
and divinely-authorized one. But all this is 
mere assumption, and without any show of 
reason whatever for its support. In briefly con- 
sidering this point, we must state, at least in 
part, w T hat the confessional is, and what is 
alleged in its support. 

What is the confessional? Or what is con- 
fession, according to the dogmas of the Pa- 
pacy ? 

1. It is an essential part of the sacrament of 
penance, and is, therefore, sacramental in its 



Their Design. 59 

character. "If any one says that in the Cath- 
olic Church penance is not truly a sacrament, 
instituted, by our Lord Jesus Christ to reconcile 
the faithful to God, as often as they sin after 
baptism, let him be accursed. . . If any one 
denies that three acts are requisite in a peni- 
tent for the entire and perfect remission of sins, 
which are, as it were, the matter of the sacra- 
ment of penance, namely, contrition, confes- 
sion^ and satisfaction, which are called the 
three parts of penance, etc., let him be ac- 
cursed." (Canons of the Council of Trent.) 
Here the sacramental character of confession, 
as an essential part of penance, is fully stated. 
2. Confession is required to be made to the 
priest as unto Christ. "Humbled in spirit, the 
sincere penitent casts himself down at the feet 
of the priest, to testify, by this his humble de- 
meanor, that he acknowledges the necessity of 
eradicating pride, the root of all those enor- 
mities which he now deplores. In the minister 
of God, who sits in the tribunal of penance as 
his legitimate judge, he venerates the power 
and person of our Lord Jesus Christ; for in 
the administration of this, as in that of the 
other sacraments, the priest represents the char- 
acter and discharges the functions of Jesus 
Christ." " On the same principle must it prove 



60 Class Meetings. 

most salutary to those whose minds are agitated 
by the consciousness of guilt, to make known the 
diseases and wounds of their souls to the priest, 
as the vicegerent of Jesus Christ, bound to 
eternal secrecy by every law, human and di- 
vine." (Catechism of the Council of Trent.) 
True enough it is, then, according to the doc- 
trines of the Papacy, that confession must be 
made to the priest as unto Christ. The con- 
fessing penitent must cast himself down at the 
confessor's feet. He must recognize and ven- 
erate the power and person of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, as embodied and represented in the 
priest, sitting as his legitimate judge, in the 
tribunal of penance. He must regard and rev- 
erence him as invested with the functions of 
Christ, and acting as his vicegerent. 

3. This confession is not limited to the priest; 
it is made also to other finite creatures — others 
who are far away and know nothing of it. The 
style of confession runs thus: "I confess to the 
almighty God, to the blessed Yirgin Mary, to 
the blessed Michael, the archangel, to the 
blessed John the Baptist, to the holy apostles, 
Peter and Paul, to all the saints in heaven, 
and to you, my father, that I have sinned ex- 
ceedingly in thought, word, and deed." (Ursu- 
line Manual.) 



Their Design. 61 

4. This Papal confession must be private and 
detailed, disclosing the most secret thoughts 
and feelings of the heart. " Mortal sins, as we 
have already said, although buried in the dark- 
est secrecy, and also sins of desire only, such as 
are forbidden by the ninth and tenth command- 
ments, are all and each of them to be made 
matter of confession." "With the bare enu- 
meration of our sins, we should not be satis- 
fied; that enumeration we should accompany 
with the relation of such circumstances as con- 
siderably aggravate or extenuate their malice. 
Some circumstances are such as, of themselves, 
to constitute mortal guilt ; on no account or oc- 
casion whatever, therefore, are such circum- 
stances to be omitted." " So important is in- 
tegrity to confession, that if the penitent will- 
fully neglect to accuse himself of some sins 
which should be confessed, and suppress others, 
he not only does not obtain the pardon of his 
sins, but involves himself in deeper guilt." 
" Secrecy should be strictly observed as well by 
penitent as priest; and hence, because in such 
circumstances secrecy must be insecure, no one 
can, on any account, confess by messenger or 
letter." "The faithful are to be admonished 
that there is no reason whatever to apprehend 
that what is made known in confession will 



62 Class Meetings. 

ever be revealed by any priest, or that by it 
the penitent can, at any time, be brought into 
difficulty or danger. 'Let the priest, 5 says the 
great Council of Lateran, Hake special care, 
neither by word nor sign, nor by any other 
means whatever, to betray, in the least degree, 
the sacred trust confided to him by the sinner.' " 
(Catechism of the Council of Trent.) 

5. This confession must be made, in order to 
priestly absolution or pardon. c; Whoever shall 
affirm that the priest's sacramental absolution 
is not a judicial act, but only a ministry, to 
pronounce and declare that the sins of the party 
confessing are forgiven, so that he believes 
himself absolved, even though the priest should 
not absolve seriously, but be in jest, let him be 
accursed." (Canon of the Council of Trent.) 
"The Redeemer instituted the sacrament of 
penance, in which we cherish a well-grounded 
hope that our sins are forgiven us by the abso- 
lution of the priest, and the faith which we 
justly have, in the efficacy of the sacraments, 
has much influence in tranquilizing the troubled 
conscience and giving peace to the soul. The 
voice of the priest, w T ho is legitimately consti- 
tuted a minister for the remission of sins, is to 
be heard as that of Christ himself, who said to 
the lame man, 4 Son, be of good cheer; thy sins 






Their Design. 63 

are forgiven thee. 5 " " Unlike the authority 
given to the priests of the old law, to declare 
the leper cleansed from his leprosy, the power 
with w T hich the priests of the new law are in- 
vested is not simply to declare that sins are for- 
given, but, as the ministers of God, really to 
absolve from sin : a power which God himself, 
the author and source of grace and justifica- 
tion, exercises through their ministry." (Cate- 
chism of the Council of Trent.) 

Such, in brief, is the auricular confessional 
of the Romish Church. We proposed to no- 
tice what is alleged in its support. This we 
find, however, would carry us beyond due lim- 
its. Nor is it necessary to the notice which 
the occasion required us to give the subject. 

The second point assumed in the charge 
above named is, that class meetings are, in 
some mode and measure, a confessional. Noth- 
ing is further from the truth than this assump- 
tion. And the charge which involves it is 
made either in ignorance, or with some ill in- 
tent. And if the Romish bishops or priests, 
who make the charge, are in ignorance upon 
the subject, and would avail themselves of the 
privilege of attending our class meetings twice 
or thrice, and be spoken to, by our leaders, 
upon their religious state, and hear the expe 



64 Class Meetings. 

rience of our members, they might come to a 
better understanding. In all kindness and 
good feeling we propose to them to take this 
course. 

"We have sufficiently explained the design of 
class meetings, in the second section of this 
chapter. And, most plainly, that design does 
not embrace or involve a single element of the 
confessional. They are wholly different and 
distinct from each other, in all their exercises 
and offices, in all their modes and purposes. 
Note some of the differences. 

The confessional is sacramental. Nothing 
of the kind is claimed for our class meetings ; 
nothing of the kind is or can be allowed to 
them. 

The confessional of Eome requires confession 
to be made to the priest, as representing the 
person and invested with the prerogatives of 
Christ. In our class meetings, a statement of 
our religious state and deportment is made to 
the minister, simply as pastor, having this offi- 
cial oversight of the Church, or to a brother 
member, in some measure representing the 
pastor. 

In the confessional, confession is made also 
to the Virgin Mary, to John the Baptist, to 
the apostles, Peter and Paul, to the saints in 



Their Design. 65 

heaven, and so on. All this our class meetings 
reject as idolatry. 

This Papal confession must be detailed and 
private. The most hidden acts of the life, to- 
gether with their circumstances, the most hid- 
den thoughts and feelings of the heart, must be 
secretly breathed into the ear of the priest, and 
ail must remain as a sworn secret with the con- 
fessor and confessant. In our class meetings 
only a general statement of the various particu- 
lars of Christian character is made ; and this is 
done in the social circle of the class without 
any view to secrecy whatever. 

In the confessional of the Papacy, confession 
to the priest is necessary to pardon, and must 
be made in order to priestly absolution. Noth- 
ing of all this blasphemy is found in our class 
meetings. There is no confession, like that of 
the Papacy, at all ; and statements of Christian 
character are made simply with a view to the 
giving of such instruction, advice, or admoni- 
tion as particular cases may require, and, fur- 
ther, to ascertain such instances as may occur 
of unworthiness for Church membership, that 
suitable discipline may be applied. 

Could any two things be more unlike than 
the confessional of Pome and the class meet- 
ings of the Methodist Episcopal Church? In 
5 



66 Class Meetings. 

all their modes and purposes they stand di- 
rectly opposed to each other. Nor is there an 
item of Scripture for the support of the modes 
and designs of the Romish confessional; and 
the whole system, as practiced by that Church, 
has ever been a rife source of scandal, of delu- 
sion and destruction, of priestly corruption and 
oppression, and of laic degradation and ruin. 
Nor need it seem strange that those who prac- 
tice such a usage, whether deceiving or being 1 
deceived, should try to implicate our class 
meetings as similar in some measure, seeking 
thereby some apology for it, or to weaken some- 
what the overwhelming objections that lie 
against it. 

In the third instance, it is involved in the 
charge above noticed, that class meetings are a 
corruption of the Romish confessional, inas- 
much "as they differ from it. But surely they 
can not be a corruption of the confessional, 
when they do not contain a single element or 
feature, not a single trace or the faintest outline 
of it. Tou might as well call the Christianity 
of St. Paul a corruption of the heathenism of 
Nero. 

Certain usages of public, detailed confession 
have, in some instances, obtained in Protestant 
Churches, that have no analogy to the exercises 



Their Design. 67 

of our class meetings ; and such a confession 
before the Church or the world is no where en- 
joined in the Scriptures as a term of pardon. 
Nor is it a duty imposed upon Christians. Of 
course our sins must be confessed to God in 
order to forgiveness. But even here there is 
often, from necessity of inability in us, a limit- 
ation of detailed confession. "Where one tres- 
passes against another the whole may be ad- 
justed privately between the two. (Matt, xviii, 
15.) It is plain from this that it is not required 
of him, who has committed the trespass, to go 
and make a display of it by a detailed confes- 
sion before the Church or the world. The 
same truth is contained in Matt, v, 23, 24. It 
is agreed that where Church members are 
chargeable with delinquencies or faults which 
bring scandal upon the Church, they are re- 
quired to make suitable confession. But two 
things are here to be noted : 1 . Such faults or 
delinquencies are already known; otherwise, 
they could not bring scandal upon the Church ; 
and, therefore, the confession, in such case, is 
not a disclosure of unknown delinquencies or 
faults, but an expression of sorrow for those 
which are already known. 2. This confession 
is not required in order to forgiveness from 
God, but to justify the Church in retaining or 



68 Class Meetings. 

receiving them again into her communion. 
Nor is there any warrant in the word of God 
for any such detailed, open confession of secret 
faults in order to forgiveness. And such con- 
fessions are not in accordance with the requisi- 
tion that all things be done decently, and in 
order, and to edification. They minister to 
scandal and disorder rather than to honor and 
edification. They are, therefore, plainly repug- 
nant to the Scriptures, and, hence, divinely 
prohibited. 

We have deemed it important thus particu- 
larly to set forth the principles and purposes of 
class meetings, and to guard them against the 
charge or supposition that they in any wise par- 
take of the nature of a confessional, whether 
private or public, Papal or Protestant. There 
is often, in our class meetings, a Scriptural 
statement of Christian experience and practice 
in response to the inquiries of the leader ; there 
is often a Scriptural confession of faults of one 
to another ; but all this is entirely dissimilar to 
such confessions as we have above noticed. 

Such, then, is the design of class meetings. 
Such are the principles and purposes of their 
institution. They constitute a measure through 
which to bring all the members under the im- 
mediate oversight of the Church, so that the 



Their Design. 69 

religious state and deportment of all may be 
known; in order, 1. That suitable and timely 
instruction and admonition, reproof and com- 
fort, exhortation and encouragement, may be 
given, as the religious condition and conduct of 
any may require ; 2. That such as are unworthy 
of Christian fellowship, and can not be re- 
claimed or restored, may be excluded from the 
communion of the Church. 

And surely we can scarcely fail to be deeply 
impressed that these principles and purposes 
of our class meetings are exceedingly import- 
ant. They must enter, as prominent measures 
and designs, into the economy of every well- 
furnished and well-administered form of Church 
government. There must be a close watch-care 
of the Church extended over her members. 
There must be, on the part of the Church, a 
knowledge of their religious state and deport- 
ment. There must be instruction and reproof, 
advice and exhortation, comfort and encourage- 
ment, as they have need. There must be a 
suitable application of discipline in the exclu- 
sion of the unworthy. "What is a Church with- 
out these things ? "What good ends of a Church 
does it answer if they be omitted or neglected ? 
They must, in some mode or other, be embraced 
and performed by every properly-formed and 



70 Class Meetings. 

well-administered Church government. How- 
ever, the importance of these principles and 
offices of our class meetings will more fully 
appear in connection with subjects hereafter to 
be considered. 



i 



Their Obligation. 71 



CHAPTER III. 

THE OBLIGATION OF CLASS MEETINGS! 
FIRST GENERAL ARGUMENT. 

SECTION I. 
CLASS MEETINGS, AS A REGULATION OF OUR 
CHURCH, CONSTITUTE A TERM OF CHURCH 
MEMBERSHIP. 

Mr. Wesley held class meetings as obliga- 
tory, and required of the members of his soci- 
eties an attendance upon them. But the matter 
was different then from what it is now. He did 
not consider his societies as constituting a 
Church, but merely as religious societies, the 
members being thus associated for mutual as- 
sistance and edification. Thus they continued 
till after his death. He did not, therefore, 
regard membership in them as Church mem- 
bership; so that, while he required attendance 
upon class as a term of membership in his 
societies, he did not require it as a term of 
Church membership. Whether he would have 
dispensed with this requisition, in case he had 
given to his societies an independent, regular 
Church organization, is not, so far as I know, 
made known to us. Yet, upon this subject, we 



72 Class Meetings. 

are scarcely left to doubt as to the course lie 
would have taken. The light in which he 
viewed them, the necessity which he saw and 
felt for some such measure, and the many great 
and good ends which he found them so efficient 
to achieve, warrant us in the belief that he 
would have retained them as an obligatory 
usage in the formation of a regular, independ- 
ent Church. We have no information that he 
ever expressed any disapproval of their being 
required as a term of Church membership, 
when the societies in this country were, accord- 
ing to his purpose and arrangement, formed 
into a separate, independent Church. The 
inference is fair that he approved of their being 
so enjoined as a regulation of our Church. 

Our Church holds her class meetings as ob- 
ligatory, and requires of her members an at- 
tendance upon them as a term of membership. 
Such is the position in which they have stood 
with us ever since the first organization of our 
Church. That they are enjoined as a term of 
Church membership is clearly set forth in the 
Discipline. The rule stands thus: ""What 
shall we do with those members of our Church 
who willfully and repeatedly neglect to meet 
their class ? Let the elder, deacon, or one of 
the preachers, visit them whenever it is practi- 



Their Obligation. 73 

cable, and explain to them the consequence if 
they continue to neglect; namely, exclusion. 
If they do not amend, let him who has the 
charge of the circuit or station bring their case 
before the society or a select number, before 
whom they shall have been cited to appear; 
and if they be found guilty of willful neglect 
by the decision of a majority of the members, 
before whom the cause is brought, let them be 
laid aside, and let the preacher show that they 
are excluded for a breach of our rules, and 
not for immoral conduct." (Chap, v, Sect, iii, 
Quest. 4.) Attendance upon class does, there- 
fore, with us constitute a term of Church mem- 
bership, since, according to the rule just quoted 
from the Discipline, persons must be laid 
aside — deprived of their membership — if they 
willfully and repeatedly neglect to meet their 
class. 

And yet we regard our class meetings simply 
as a prudential regulation. Mr. "Wesley him- 
self so regarded and styled them. They are a 
usage w T hich our Church has herself instituted. 
Even the rule of Discipline which enjoins the 
exclusion of such as will not attend them, re- 
gards them merely as a prudential measure. 
Hence, it is to be distinctly noted that those 
who are excluded for refusing to attend them 



74: Class Meetings. 

are excluded merely for a breach, of rules, and 
not for immoral conduct. 

Nor have we any purpose to assume and de- 
fend the obligation of class meetings as author- 
ized by any express Scripture warrant, so far as 
their mere mode is concerned. This, we think, 
could not be successfully done. Such passages 
as, "Then they that feared the Lord spake often 
one to another," and, "When the doors were 
shut where the disciples were assembled for 
fear of the Jews, came Jesus, and stood in the 
midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto 
you," would not authorize the position of a 
Divine warrant, expressed in Scripture, for the 
form of class meetings as they exist among us. 
Nor will any other passages be found to set 
forth or express their mere form ; and yet the 
obligation of class meetings, as a condition of 
Church membership, must not be rested upon 
any ground which the Scriptures do not fairly 
authorize. But does it hence follow that the 
institution itself is without such warrant, or in- 
defensible, because its mere mode is not plainly 
revealed in the Scriptures? Surely not. We 
hope to make this fully and clearly appear; 
and deeming this part of our subject of chief 
importance, we purpose as full a discussion of 
it as our limits will allow. 



Their Obligation. 75 

section n. 

PRINCIPLE OF THE FIRST GENERAL ARGUMENT 
EXPLAINED AND ESTABLISHED! PREROG- 
ATIVE OF THE CHURCH IN PRU- 
DENTIAL REGULATIONS. 

Let us particularly state the subject now in 
hand. We have before us first the discussion 
of this principle : May a Church require con- 
formity to a merely-prudential measure as a 
term of Church membership? We have then 
the application of this principle to a particular 
prudential measure — that of our class meetings. 
Such is the subject now in hand. 

May a Church require conformity to a merely- 
prudential measure as a term of Church mem- 
bership? The discussion of the principle in- 
volved in this question will occupy the present 
section. The application of the principle will 
remain as the subject for the next. 

There is ever a tendency to extremes, in 
the judgment of the various Churches, as to the 
obligation of prudential regulations in relig- 
ion — extremes in judgment, both as to the 
ground and extent of their obligation. Some 
regard the Church as endowed with such plen- 
ary prerogative, such infallibility and unlimited 
power, as that whatever regulations she insti- 
tutes as requisites in religion are of equal 



76 Class Meetings. 

authority and coextensive obligation with those 
institutions which Christ, the founder and 
head of the Church, has himself appointed 
and expressly enjoined in his word. This is 
one extreme. Others are disposed to regard 
all usages of the Church which are not or- 
dained of God and expressly enjoined in his 
word, as unlawful, or without any obligation 
whatever. Here is another extreme. These 
two lie opposite to each other, and are far apart. 
And they are about equally distant from the 
truth; for much truth there is between them. 
And it is for this truth that we are now to 
search. Nor do we think the discovery of it 
will be difficult. 

There are many things revealed in the Scrip- 
tures, and enjoined upon the Church, which 
must not be changed or omitted. Such are set- 
tled by Divine authority, and are obligatory 
always and every-where. Of these are the 
fundamental doctrines of the Gospel ; the sacra- 
ments of baptism and the Lord's supper; the 
holy observance of the Sabbath; the public 
worship of God ; the ministry of the word ; and 
so on. All these institutions exist by the ap 
pointment of God, and their obligation rests in 
the authority of his command. All of them 
must, therefore, be received and observed by 



Their Obligation. 77 

every time branch of the Church of Christ. 
Here no Church, nor all together, have any dis- 
cretionary prerogative. This is so plain as not 
to require illustration or defense. 

And no branch of the Church may institute, 
or enjoin any usages or regulations for her gov- 
ernment, or to be observed in her worship, 
which are plainly repugnant to the Scriptures, 
or to true experimental and practical religion, 
or which are not intended, and do not promise, 
in some measure, to serve her peace and pros- 
perity. This, too, is so plain as not to require 
any illustration or defense. 

But within these limits, much — very much — 
is left to the discretion of the Church, to be de- 
termined in view of times and circumstances, 
or the indications of Providence. And no one, 
without much reflection, is aware how far the 
exercise of this prerogative obtains now, and 
has ever obtained, in the Church ; no one, with- 
out this reflection, is aware how far it must ob- 
tain. 

It is a very plain truth, that the Church ex- 
ists as a society, or collection of societies. It 
thus exists according to the will and appoint- 
ment of Christ, its divine founder — according to 
its institution or formation under the apostles. 
Christianity, in its establishment in the world, 



78 Class Meetings. 

was not intended to be merely a system of doc- 
trines and rules of life, to be privately em- 
braced, believed, and obeyed by men, severally 
and separately. It proposed to collect them 
together, to unite them in a religious commu- 
nity or communities, and to place them under 
suitable Christian government. This truth, 
which is important to the principle of our pres- 
ent argument, is well set forth by Archbishop 
Whately : 

" Of all who acknowledge Jesus of Nazareth 
as their master, i the author and finisher of their 
faith, 5 there are scarcely any who do not agree 
in regarding him as the founder and perpetual 
head of a religious society also ; as having in- 
stituted and designed for permanent continu- 
ance, a community or system of communities, 
to which his disciples, here on earth, were to 
belong. The religion he introduced was mani- 
festly designed by him, and so understood by 
his immediate followers, to be a social religion ; 
a combination of men, who should be members 
of the body of Christ — living stones of one 
spiritual temple; 'edifying 5 — that is, building 
up — 'one another in their faith, 5 and brethren 
of one holy family. 55 Such is the character of 
religion — collecting and uniting mankind in 
societies or communities. 



Their Obligation. 79 

Now, every branch of the Church, existing 
as a society, must have some form of organiza- 
tion, some usages of worship, some rules and 
regulations for her proper and peaceable man- 
agement, and for the control of her members. 
In a word, she must have a government ; she 
can not exist without one. And a government 
must have its modes and measures, its laws 
and regulations. It implies authority and sub- 
ordination ; a power to rule and an obligation 
to obey. All this must belong to every society, 
as a society. Especially must sll this belong 
to every religious society or community which 
exists as a Church. This subject is so well 
presented by Archbishop Whately, that I will 
have no need to apologize for a rather long 
quotation from him; 

" It seems to belong to the very essence of a 
community, that it should have, 1. Officers of 
some kind ; 2. Rules enforced by some kind of 
penalties; and, 3. Some power of admitting 
and excluding persons as members. 

"For, 1. "Whatever may be the character, 
and whatever the proposed objects of a regu- 
larly-constituted community, officers of some 
kind are essential to it. In whatever manner 
they may be appointed, whether by hereditary 
succession, or by rotation, or by election of any 



80 Class Meetings. 

kind; whatever be the number and titles of 
them, and whatever the distribution of their 
functions — all w T hich are matters of detail — 
officers of some kind every community must 
have. 

"2. It seems equally essential to every com- 
munity, that it should have certain regulations 
or by-laws, binding on its own members. And 
if it be not wholly subjected to the control, and 
regulated by the directions of some extraneous 
power, but is in any degree an independent 
community, it must so far have power to enact 
and abrogate — to suspend, alter, and restore 
by-laws for itself; namely, such regulations, ex- 
tending to matters intrinsically indifferent, as 
are not at variance with the enactments of any 
superior authority. The enforcement, also, of 
the regulations of a community, by some kind 
of penalties, is evidently implied by the very 
existence of regulations. To say of any com- 
munity, that its laws are valid and binding on 
its members, is to say that the violators of them 
may justly be visited with penalties; and to 
recognize officers, in a community, is to recog- 
nize, as among its laws, submission to those 
officers while in the exercise of their legitimate 
functions. 

" 3. Lastly, no less essential to a community 



Their Obligation. 81 

seems to be a power lodged somewhere, of de- 
termining questions of membership. What- 
ever may be the claims or qualifications on 
which that may depend, even whether the com- 
munity be a voluntary association, or, as in the 
case with political communities, one claiming 
compulsory powers, and whatever may be its 
purpose, in all cases, the admission to it, of 
each individual, must be determined by some 
recognized authority. 

u Since, therefore, this point, and also those 
others above mentioned, seem, naturally and 
necessarily, to belong to every regular commu- 
nity, since it must, in short, consist of regu- 
larly-constituted members, subject to certain 
rules, and having certain officers, it follows, 
that whoever directs or sanctions the establish- 
ment of a community — as our Lord certainly 
did in respect of Christian Churches — must be 
understood as thereby sanctioning those insti- 
tutions which belong to the essence of a com- 
munity. To recognize a community as actually 
having a legitimate existence, or as allowably 
to be formed, is to recognize it as having offi- 
cers, as having regulations enforced by certain 
penalties, and as admitting, or refusing to ad- 
mit, members. 

"When, however, we [do] examine and re- 
6 



82 Class Meetings. 

fleet, we can hardly doubt, I think, considering 
to whom and at what time he was speaking, 
that onr Lord did sanction and enjoin the for- 
mation of a permanent religions community or 
communities, possessing all those powers which 
have been above alluded to. The power of 
'binding and loosing'— that is, enacting and 
enforcing — and of abrogating or suspending 
regulations, for a Christian society, was recog- 
nized by his promise of the divine ratification 
of those acts — the 'binding and loosing' in 
heaven. And the expression respecting the 
* remitting and retaining of sins,' if it is to be 
understood — as I think it is — as extending to 
any thing beyond the power of admitting mem- 
bers into Christ's Church by 'baptism for the 
-remission of sins,' must relate to the enforce- 
ment or remission of ecclesiastical censures for 
•offenses against a Christian community." 

Such, then, being the character of every re- 
ligious community that exists as a Church; 
such being the requisites for its proper organi- 
zation as a Church community, and for the 
peaceable and well-ordered administration of 
its government, this question comes up fairly 
and forcibly: Do the Scriptures reveal and en- 
join such regulations and usages as are nec- 
essary to the good government and orderly 



i 



Their Obligation. 83 

worship of a religious community as a Church ? 
If they do, it may be granted that the Church 
is limited to those, and has no discretionary 
prerogative upon the whole subject. If they 
do not, then the conclusion follows, beyond the 
reason or admission of a doubt, that the Church 
has a discretionary prerogative over these mat- 
ters. We now, therefore, ask special attention 
to the question above stated. 

There have not been wanting those who have 
strenuously assumed the position that the Scrip- 
tures do reveal and enjoin all that is necessary 
for the entire government of a Church — basing 
their assumption upon the necessity of the 
case. This necessity they have endeavored to 
maintain by arguments brought from several 
things, which may be merely stated : From 
the faithfulness of Christ compared with that 
of Moses, urging that as Moses instituted an 
entire form of government for the Church over 
which he was placed, so " Christ Jesus, who was 
faithful to him that appointed him, as also 
Moses was faithful in all his house," must have 
done the same for the Church over w T hich he 
was placed; from the institution of a certain 
form of government by other legislators who 
have modeled communities or commonwealths, 
urging an equal necessity in this case ; from the 



84 Class Meetings. 

similitudes employed to represent the Church, 
urging that these imply such a character of the 
Church as to require that Christ should insti- 
tute for it a particular form of government; 
from the perfections of the Scripture, urging 
that if an entire and immutable form of gov- 
ernment for the Church is not contained and 
enjoined therein, they must be imperfect. All 
this, and I know not what all beside, has been 
urged in support of the necessity of the case. 
If any would see a refutation to all this, he 
may find it to his satisfaction in Bishop Still- 
ingfleet's Irenicum. The following quotation 
from Bishoj) Hooker, is entirely sufficient for 
our present purpose: 

" As for those marvelous discourses, whereby 
they adventure to argue that God must needs 
have done the thing which they imagine was 
to be done, I must confess I have often won- 
dered at their exceeding boldness herein. When 
the question is, whether God has delivered in 
Scripture — as they affirm he hath — a complete, 
particular, immutable form of Church polity, 
why take they that other, both presumptuous 
and superfluous labor, to prove he should have 
done it, there being no way, in this case, to 
prove the deed of God, saving only by produc- 
ing that evidence wherein he hath done it? 



Their Obligation. 85 

But if there be no such thing apparent upon 
record, they do as if one should demand a leg- 
acy, by force and virtue of some written testa- 
ment, wherein there being no such thing speci- 
fied, he pleadeth that there it must needs be, 
and bringeth arguments from the love and good- 
will which always the testator bore, imagining 
that these, or the like proofs, will convict a tes- 
tament to have that in it which other men can 
no where, by reading, find. In matters which 
concern the actions of God, the most dutiful 
way, on our part, is to search what God hath 
done, and, with meekness, to admire that, 
rather than to dispute what he, in congruity of 
reason, ought to do." 

It seems sufficiently plain to us, that the 
Scriptures do not furnish or. enjoin a definite 
form of government, much less the details of 
one, as sufficient for the proper and successful 
management and control of a Church. It is 
equally plain, that they do not furnish or enjoin 
such regulations and usages to be observed in 
divine worship, as are necessary for that wor- 
ship to be conducted in an orderly and edifying 
mode. "No such thing is to be found in our 
Scriptures as a Catechism, or Regular Element- 
ary Introduction to the Christian Religion; 
nor do they furnish us with any thing of the 



86 Class Meetings. 

nature of a Systematic Creed, set of Articles, 
Confession of Faith, or by whatever other 
name one may designate a regular, complete 
Compendium of Christian Doctrines; nor, 
again, do they supply us with a Liturgy for 
Ordinary Public Worship, or with Forms for 
Administering the Sacraments, or for Confer- 
ring Holy Orders ; nor do they ever give any 
precise directions as to these and other ecclesias- 
tical matters— any thing that at all corresponds 
to a Rubric or set of Canons." (Whately.) 

Where will you find in the Scriptures a draft, 
according to which a Church community must 
be planned — a model after which it must be 
formed? Where will you find therein a de- 
tailed account of the different offices of a suffi- 
cient Church government? or of the distribu- 
tion of governmental powers and functions 
among these offices ? or of the rules and regu- 
lations to be observed by those who fill the 
offices? Where will you find therein what 
shall be or who shall constitute the spiritual 
judicatories of the Church, either for ministers 
or members, or in matters of faith or discipline, 
or of the rules according to which their pro- 
ceedings shall be conducted? Or can you find 
detailed in the Scriptures the prudential requi- 
sites for the office of the ministry, either for 



Their Obligation. 87 

admission or continuance in that sacred office? 
or the prudential requisites for Church mem- 
bership, either for admission or continuance 
therein ? Can you find whether these must be 
admitted simply upon a profession of the 
Christian faith and an avowed purpose of 
piety, or only upon a profession of saving 
grace or regeneration? whether they must be 
received to full membership and all its privi- 
leges at once, or be placed under instruction, 
and remain for a season upon trial, as the cate- 
chumens of the primitive Church? Can you 
find therein the prudential rules and forms for 
the administration of the sacraments — baptism 
and the Lord's supper? or for the useful and 
orderly conducting of religious worship ? We 
answer, that these things — all those above al- 
luded to — are not revealed and enjoined in the 
Scriptures ; and, if any answer otherwise, we 
leave it for them to find and to furnish them. 

And it is a fact well worthy of observation, 
that the sacred writers have omitted to furnish. 
a detailed record of the regulations and usages 
introduced into the various Churches of their 
founding, for their government and worship. 
It is a fact that fully authorizes certain import- 
ant inferences that should be considered in this 
connection ; and these are drawn so fairly and 



88 Class Meetings. 

set forth so forcibly by Whately, that I can not 
do better than to furnish brief extracts from 
him. 

" Among the important facts which we can 
collect and fully ascertain from the sacred his- 
torians, scanty, and irregular, and imperfect as 
are their records of particulars, one of the most 
important is, that very scantiness and incom- 
pleteness in the detail, that absence of any full 
and systematic description of the formation 
and regulation of Christian communities that 
has been just noticed; for we may plainly 
infer, from this very circumstance, the design 
of the Holy Spirit, that those details, con- 
cerning which no precise directions, accompa- 
nied with strict injunctions, are to be found in 
Scripture, were meant to be left to the regula- 
tion of each Church, in each age and country. 

" These omissions present a complete moral 
demonstration that the apostles and their fol- 
lowers must have been siipernaturally with- 
held from recording a great part of the institu- 
tions, instructions, and regulations which must, 
in point of fact, have proceeded from them — 
withheld on purpose that other Churches, in 
other ages and regions, might not be led to 
consider themselves bound to adhere to several 
formularies, customs, and rules that were of 



Their Obligation. 89 

local and temporary appointment, but might be 
left to their own discretion in matters in which 
it seemed best to divine Wisdom that they 
should be so left. 

"The absence of such detailed descriptions 
and instructions as I have been adverting to, is 
the more striking when contrasted with the 
earnest and frequent inculcations w r e do meet 
with, of the great fundamental Gospel doctrines 
and moral duties, which are dwelt upon in so 
many passages, both generally and in reference 
to various classes of persons, and various occa- 
sions." 

We are brought thus to the position — and 
that position morally demonstrated — that it be- 
longs to the Church, in prudential matters, to 
make rules and regulations, and to institute 
usages for herself. Since she exists, according 
to the plan of her divine Founder, as a com- 
munity or collection of communities, which 
must, from the necessity of the case, have rules 
of government and usages of worship ; and since 
these are not revealed or enjoined in the Scrip- 
tures, but purposely and supernaturally omit- 
ted, it follows, beyond the reason or admission 
of a doubt, that she is invested w r ith the pre- 
rogative of furnishing all such prudential meas- 
ures for herself. Certain general principles are 



90 Class Meetings. 

given in Scripture, which must be observed by 
the Church in the use of this discretionary pre- 
rogative. But while acting in view of these 
principles, and in conformity to their require- 
ments, in making regulations for her own good 
government, usefulness, and prosperity, and in 
appointing usages for her orderly and edifying 
worship, she acts with an entirely sufficient, 
legitimate authority. This we believe to be 
the true doctrine upon this subject; and it is 
one, the truthfulness of which we might sup- 
port by the most ample and competent authori- 
ties of the different ages, and the various 
branches of the Church of Christ. A few quo- 
tations, however, will be all that our limits will 
allow. 

"In things which are determined both by 
the law of nature and Divine, positive laws, as 
to the substance and morality of them, but not 
determined as to all the circumstances belong- 
ing to them, it is in the power of lawful author- 
ity in the Church of God to determine them, so 
far as they judge them tend to the promoting 
the performance of them in due manner, so 
that not only matters wholly left at liberty as 
to the substance of them are subject to human 
laws and constitutions, but even things com- 
manded in the Divine law, in reference to the 



Theie Obligation. 91 

manner of performance, if undetermined by 
the same law which enforces the duty. Thus 
the setting apart some time for God's worship 
is a dictate of the natural law ; that the first day 
of the week be that time, is determined under 
the Gospel; but in what places, at what hours, 
in what order, decency, and solemnity this wor- 
ship shall be then performed, are circumstances 
not determined in Scripture, but only by gen- 
eral rules. As to these, then, so they be done 
in conformity to those rules, they are subject to 
human, positive determinations. 

u Let us see whether the general rules do re- 
quire any one form, which rules, in that they 
are general, can determine nothing of the au- 
thority itself as to its particular mode, being 
intended only for the regulation of the exercise 
of the authority in which men are placed ; and 
it is an evidence that nothing is particularly 
determined in this case, w T hen the Spirit of 
God only lays down such rules for government 
which are applicable to distinct forms. Other- 
wise, certainly some rules would have been laid 
down, which could have been applied to nothing 
but to that one form. That none take the office 
of preaching without a call, nor go with out 
sending, will equally hold, whether the power 
of ordination lie in a bishop with presbyters, or 



92 Class Meetings. 

in presbyters acting with equality of power. 
That offenders he censured, and complaints 
made to the Church in case of scandal, deter- 
mines nothing to whom the power of jurisdic- 
tion doth solely belong, nor what that Church 
is which must receive these complaints. That 
all things he done with decency and order, doth 
prescribe nothing w\herein that decency lies, 
nor how far that order may extend, nor yet who 
must be the judges of that decency and order. 
That all he done for edification and the com- 
mon "benefit of the Church, doth noways re- 
strain his Church's freedom in disposing of 
itself as to the form of its government, so the 
aim of the Church be for the better edification 
of the body of the Church, and to promote the 
benefit of it." (Stillingfleet.) 

"The Scripture lays down certain general 
rules for the guidance of the Church in regu- 
lating externals; such as, 'Let all things be 
done decently and in order ;' ' Let all things be 
done to edifying;' 'Whatsoever ye do, do all 
to the glory of God ;' ' Give none offense, nei- 
ther to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the 
Church. 5 Therefore, the Scripture recognizes 
a power of regulating externals which is guided 
by general Scriptural rules, not by specific 
Scriptural enactment or precedent. 



Their Obligation. 93 

"Hence, I conclude that it is lawful — it is 
not antichristian — to continue, or even insti- 
tute rites and discipline not mentioned in Scrip- 
ture, provided they be not opposed to the truths 
or the principles of Scripture ; for, if it be oth- 
erwise, all Christians, from the beginning, must 
have mistaken their own religion, and acted 
as the enemies of Christ." (Palmer on the 
Church.) 

"And, besides the general principles of 
Christian faith and morality which they [the 
apostles] sedulously set forth, they have re- 
corded the most earnest exhortations to avoid 
' confusion ' in their public worship ; to do ' all 
things decently and in order;' to 'let all things 
be done to edifying,' and not for vainglorious 
display; they inculcate the duty of Chris- 
tians ' assembling themselves together' for joint 
worship; they record distinctly the solemn 
sanction given to a Christian community; they 
inculcate due reverence and obedience to those 
that ' bear rule ' in such a community, with cen- 
sure of such as 'walk disorderly' and 'cause 
divisions ;' and they dwell earnestly on the care 
with which Christian ministers should be se- 
lected, and on the zeal, and discretion, and 
blameless life required in them, and on their 
solemn obligation to 'exhort, rebuke, and 



94 Class Meetings. 

admonish ;' yet, with all this, they do not record 
even the number of distinct orders of them, or 
the functions appropriate to each, or the degree, 
and kind, and mode of control they exercise in 
the Churches. 

" While the principles, in short, are clearly 
recognized and strongly inculcated, which 
Christian communities and individual mem- 
bers of them are to keep in mind and act 
upon, with a view to the great objects for 
which these communities were established, the 
precise modes in which these objects are, in each 
case, to be j)romoted, are left — one can hardly 
doubt, studiously left — undefined." (Whately.) 

"It is a most valuable part of that blessed 
liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, 
that, in his worship, different forms and usages 
may, without offense, be allowed, provided the 
substance of the faith be kept entire, and that, 
in every Church, what can not be clearly deter- 
mined to belong to doctrine must be referred 
to discipline, and, therefore, by common con- 
sent and authority, may be altered, abridged, 
enlarged, amended, or otherwise disposed of, 
as may seem most convenient for the edifica- 
tion of the people, 'according to the various 
exigencies and occasions.' " (Preface to the 
Protestant Episcopal Church Prayer-Book.) 



Their Obligation. 95 

"It is not necessary that traditions [customs] 
and ceremonies be, in all places, one, or utterly 
alike; for, at all times, they have been diverse, 
and may be changed according to the diversity 
of countries, times, and men's manners, so 
that nothing be ordained against God's word." 
(Thirty-fourth Article of the Protestant Episco- 
pal Church.) 

The Presbyterian Confession of Faith having 
asserted the " rights of private judgment, in all 
matters that respect religion, as universal and 
unalienable," says, "that, in perfect consistency 
with the above principle of common right, 
every Christian Church, or union or association 
of particular Churches, is entitled to declare 
the terms of admission into its communion, 
and the qualifications of its ministers and 
members, as well as the whole system of its 
internal government which Christ hath ap- 
pointed." 

This principle of discretionary prerogative, 
thus developed and established, has been very 
generally received in the different ages of the 
Christian Church, and adopted and acted upon 
by the various branches of that Church. Every 
community, existing by the providence of God, 
as a Church, is invested with this prerogative; 
and our Church thus existing, has this power 



96 Class Meetings. 

in common with, others ; and, while in the pru- 
dential and legitimate use of it, all who enter 
her communion are bound, by Scriptural obli- 
gation, to conform to her regulations and usages. 
This is so plain that none can reasonably doubt 
it; and this we think a sufficient ground of 
obligation for our class meetings. 

section m. 

APPLICATION OF THIS PREROGATIVE TO THE 
CASE OF CLASS MEETINGS. 

May a Church, in the use of this prerogative, 
require conformity to a prudential usage, as a 
term of membership, which usage is not essen- 
tial to Christian character or to salvation? This 
question makes the plain and fair issue as to 
our class meetings, and allows the very strong- 
est ground of objection. We hold them merely 
as prudential. Such Mr. Wesley viewed them ; 
and such have they ever been regarded by 
our Church. Persons may be true Christians, 
true Church members, and heirs of salvation, 
without them. Has our Church then tran- 
scended the provisions of this discretionary 
power, in requiring the observance of such a 
usage as a term of membership? 

This we will say first: Let that Church 
which is free from such a fault — if it be a 



Their Obligation. 97 

fault — cast the first stone, or bring the first 
complaint against us. In our judgment, nei- 
ther a membership nor a place in the ministry 
of any well-organized, well-disciplined, and well- 
governed Church now existing, can be obtained 
without conforming to regulations and usages 
not clearly revealed and enjoined in the Scrip- 
tures, and not essential to true Christian char- 
acter or to salvation — regulations and usages 
appointed solely in the use of this discretionary 
power. ISTor do we believe that either could 
have been done in any such Church, at any 
time since the days of the apostles. But it 
may be said that wrongs in other Churches will 
not correct or justify a wrong in our own ; and 
very true. But we are not essaying to cloak a 
wrong in our own with the wrongs in others. 
We aim now simply to show that the conse- 
quences of the contrary doctrine to the one 
we maintain, are such as to require any who 
would oppose us at least to pause and reflect a 
little. We do not ourselves consider the mere 
fact of making such requirements a wrong in 
any Church. If wrong, it is for other reasons. 
The principle which we have sufficiently dis- 
cussed in the preceding section, fully empowers 
the Church to make such disciplinary rules and 
regulations as will have to do, more or less, with 

r 



98 Class Meetings. 

terms of Church, membership. Each branch 
of the Church is authorized, by this discretion- 
ary prerogative, limited and directed, of course, 
by the general principles of Scripture, to deter- 
mine the prudential regulations and requisites 
for admission and continuance both in the office 
of the ministry and in the communion of the 
Church. It is a mistaken thought that nothing 
can be required or become obligatory upon 
Church members, except it be particularly 
specified in Scripture. If this were so, we 
must needs have an entire system of Church 
government, with all its details, all its minutiae 
of disciplinary rules and requirements, and all 
its modes of worship particularly specified and 
enjoined therein. But this, most plainly, we 
have not ; and, therefore, this is not at all nec- 
essary to the obligation of such things. We 
might as well assume that no enactments of the 
properly-constituted legislature of a state can 
be obligatory unless specified and enjoined in 
the constitution, as to say that no prudential 
regulations of a Church can be obligatory upon 
its members unless specified and enjoined in 
the Scriptures. A constitution is intended to 
limit and direct the enactments of the legisla- 
ture, and not to specify and enjoin all the par- 
ticular acts of legislation, which, indeed, would 



Their Obligation. 99 

supersede the necessity and exclude the lawful- 
ness of one. Now, the general principles of 
Scripture, in like manner, occupy the place and 
serve the purposes of a constitution to every 
true branch of the Church ; and the prudential 
regulations of such a branch of the Church, 
when made by its proper authorities, and in 
conformity to these general principles of Scrip- 
ture, are as really obligatory upon its members 
as are the constitutional enactments of a civil 
legislature upon the citizens of a state. Such 
is the nature, such the bearing and provisions 
of the principle discussed and established in 
the preceding section. Such is the principle 
as recognized and set forth in the various quo- 
tations we furnished, as representing the views 
of various authors and different Churches. 

And this same principle, according to these 
views, authorizes a Church to require conform- 
ity to prudential regulations as a term of Church 
membership. It is a plain principle that, as 
there is authority to institute prudential regula- 
tions, there is authority to require their observ- 
ance. But more of this hereafter. And as 
there is authority to require this observance, 
so there is authority to refuse the privileges of 
membership, or to exclude from them, all such 
as refuse this observance. These statements 



100 Class Meetings. 

are logically true, and sufficiently plain to ordi- 
nary abilities of apprehension. A Church may, 
therefore, require the observance of a pruden- 
tial usage as a term of membership, which 
usage is not essential to true Christian char- 
acter or to salvation. 

And, as stated above, such requirements are 
made by various Churches. We believe that 
they may be found in the economy of all well- 
governed and well-disciplined Chnrches of the 
present and of former ages. One Church may 
plead that its prudential regulations and usages 
are better than those of others ; that they are 
more in harmony with the general principles 
of Scripture and the polity of the apostolic 
Churches ; and that they answer better the pur- 
poses of good government and discipline, and 
are more highly promotive of spiritual growth 
and prosperity than those of others. But all 
these are open questions between the various 
Churches, and not material to the subject now 
in hand. We are just now considering the 
simple fact, that various good Churches, yea, 
that the best Churches, have such regulations 
and usages as terms of Church membership. 
I see not how any can deny that they have. 
I see not why any should desire to deny it, be- 
cause, in itself, it is a very proper and lawful 



Their Obligation. 101 

thing. More than this, it is a necessary thing. 
Now, take only a cursory view of any well- 
regulated Church of the present age, and see 
if you do not find, in such Church, certain 
usages and regulations for the admission of 
both members and ministers — certain usages 
and regulations to be observed, if they are 
allowed to remain, which are not revealed and 
enjoined in the Scriptures. With some, a col- 
legiate diploma of bachelor or master of arts, 
or, at least, authentic testimonials of having 
gone through a regular course of learning, are 
required for admission to the work of the min- 
istry; and, further, the study of divinity at 
least two years, except in extraordinary cases, 
is required for this work. Then there are 
various courses of trial also necessary. Now, 
all this is merely prudential. It is not revealed 
and enjoined in the Scriptures. It is not neces- 
sary to the true work of the ministry; and 
those who require it will hardly say that it is 
so revealed and enjoined, or that it is so neces- 
sary. And then, further, persons once admit- 
ted to the ministry of such Church are required, 
in order to continue therein, to conform to its 
various prudential regulations and usages ; and 
here the same principle of a discretionary pre- 
rogative is applied in the institution of pru- 



102 Class Meetings, 

dential terms for the office of the ministry. 
Some require the study of a certain course of 
catechetical instruction and episcopal confirma- 
tion, in order to admission to Church member- 
ship. Some admit persons to membership di- 
rectly upon a profession of Christian faith and 
an avowed purpose of piety, requiring there- 
after a season of trial. Others require a pro- 
fession of grace or regeneration. Some require 
this to be made to the Church Session. With 
others it must be made before the whole Church ; 
and every member must have the privilege of a 
catechist, the place of a spiritual censorship, 
and a right of consenting before the applicant 
can be admitted to the privileges of member- 
ship. Now, if that which is not enjoined nor 
revealed in the Scriptures is prudential, plainly 
all this is so. Then, at least as a general thing, 
members are required, if not by specific rule, 
yet in fact, to conform to the various prudential 
regulations and usages of the Churches to 
which they belong. This must be so from the 
necessity of the case. Otherwise, good govern- 
ment can not be maintained; discipline can 
not be well administered; the affairs of the 
Church can not be conducted in a decent, 
orderly, and edifying manner. 

There is one particular in which our Church 



Their Obligation. 103 

diners from some others, that it may be proper 
to observe in this connection. Our Church has 
a specific, written rule for the exclusion of 
members who refuse to observe a prudential 
regulation in the instance of class meetings. 
Other Churches have not such specific, ex- 
pressed rules. But here is a difference only in 
form, and not in fact. The principle is em- 
braced equally by others as by us. Both oc- 
cupy and act upon the same ground. 

And now I repeat it, the Churches of Christ 
have a sufficient, legitimate authority for these 
things. While making such regulations as are 
intended, and, in their best judgment, calcu- 
lated to promote their prosperity and spiritual 
good, they are acting upon a prerogative that 
is Scriptural and authoritative. And they may 
rightfully require the observance of such meas- 
ures. They do not regard such prudential reg- 
ulations and usages as necessary to the office 
of the ministry, or as essential to true Christian 
character, or to salvation. Yet they do find 
them to serve the good order and harmony, the 
purity and spirituality, the piety and usefulness 
of the Church. They do find them to con- 
tribute to the good character, the efficiency, 
and usefulness of the ministry. Kow, do such 
Churches transcend their right? Do they un- 



104 Class Meetings. 

lawfully prevent persons, not willing to conform 
to their usages, from entering their communion, 
or obtaining a place in their ministry ? Or do 
they unlawfully and oppressively exclude them 
therefrom, for refusing thereafter to conform to 
them? If they do, then all good government 
and well-administered discipline are at an end ; 
all rules and regulations, which preserve their 
peace and promote their prosperity, and all 
usages which secure and sustain their modes 
of decent, and orderly, and edifying worship, 
are also at an end. If they do not unlawfully 
or oppressively refuse, or exclude from, the 
office of the ministry, or the privileges of mem- 
bership, for refusing such conformity, then the 
principle we maintain is established. Churches 
may require the observance of prudential regu- 
lations, as a term of membership, which are 
not essential to true Christian character, or to 
salvation. And this is an entirely sufficient 
ground for the defense of the obligation of class 
meetings, at least so far as their mere pruden- 
tial character is concerned. 

Having thus established the principle of our 
argument, and shown its general application to 
Churches, we must apply it yet more directly 
to our class meetings. And here we must 
briefly consider their consonance to the general 



Their Obligation. 105 

principles of Scripture, or to trie legitimate 
purposes of a prudential regulation. And thus 
viewed, we shall find them in no wise repugnant 
to either, but in full and consenting harmony 
with both. 

In the first place, there is nothing in the 
Scriptures, in the form of example, of general 
statement, or specific declaration, to which class 
meetings are contrary. We have not claimed 
their Scriptural revelation or injunction. And 
no more can we allow the position of their 
Scriptural prohibition. Nor need we detain to 
discuss this point; for we may not reasonably 
suppose that any will attempt to maintain, or 
even assume, such a one. 

IsTor are class meetings in any wise dissonant 
to the true principles and duties of religion, or 
to true Christian experience and deportment. 
Their exercises are in harmonious and happy 
agreement with true religious affections and 
Christian fellowship. That Christians — breth- 
ren in Christ, and members of the same family 
of God, as they are — should come together in 
intimate, affectionate, and brotherly fellowship ; 
that, thus associated, they should commune to- 
gether in the freeness and fullness of Christian 
confidence and love ; that they should converse 
of their graces and practices, their temptations 



106 Class Meetings. 

and deliverances, their declinings and reviv- 
ings, their trials and triumphs, their joys and 
sorrows, their purposes and prospects : all this 
is just in character with their religion, and 
their relation to each other, as the children of 
God. And that, thus associated, they should 
advise and instruct, admonish and exhort, com- 
fort and encourage each other, is equally in 
character with their religion and Christian re- 
lationships. But just such are the exercises 
and purposes of the class. So that we do find 
them in striking agreement with the true char- 
acter of religion. 

There are certain general principles of Scrip- 
ture, which are for the limiting and guiding of 
the Church in the institution of prudential reg- 
ulations and usages; such as, "Whatsoever ye 
do, do all to the glory of God;" "Give none 
offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, 
nor to the Church; 5 ' "Let all things be done 
decently and in order;" "Let all things be done 
unto edifying." Such are general principles, 
for the instruction and direction, not only of 
individual members, but also of Churches, in 
measures of a prudential character. These 
should not be disregarded or trespassed. Each 
branch of the Church, in honesty of intention, 
and according to its best judgment, should con- 



Their Obligation. 107 

form its prudential rules and usages to their in- 
struction, and keep them within their limita- 
tion. And all this is done in the instance of 
our class meetings. They were originally in- 
tended for the good of our members. They 
have been so intended ever since. They w^ere 
adopted, and have been preserved, as a measure 
for the promotion of the glory of God, and the 
good order and prosperity of the Church. They 
were instituted as well adapted, according to 
the best possible judgment in the case, to the 
achievement of these objects. And after the 
experience of many years, our judgment re- 
mains the same. Our persuasion of their pro- 
priety and usefulness is rather strengthened 
than weakened. They are, therefore, in ac- 
cordance with the spirit, and wholly within the 
provisions of these general principles. And 
thus they are placed under their full sanction, 
and rightfully claim thereby a sufficient legiti- 
mate warrant. Therefore, our Church is justi- 
fied in the institution and maintenance of 
them. 

Further, class meetings are in accordance 
with the legitimate purposes of prudential 
measures. What are the legitimate measures 
and purposes of this prudential prerogative 
with which, as we have seen, every true Church 



108 Class Meetings. 

is invested? We have no occasion now to 
name them all, or to describe them. But we 
feel entirely safe in saying that class meetings, 
as a prudential measure, and the purposes of 
their institution, are all fully legitimate to this 
prerogative. If it sanctions or authorizes any 
such measures and purposes, it fully sanctions 
or authorizes these. We have before suffi- 
ciently explained the character of class meet- 
ings, and, therefore, need only recur to the sub- 
ject now. They are a measure, through which 
to extend the watch-care of the Church over all 
the members, for their spiritual assistance and 
edification, and for the proper administration 
of discipline. These are objects that the Church 
ought to regard, the achievement of which she 
ought earnestly to seek. Here, then, in the in- 
stitution of class meetings, as a measure for 
the accomplishment of certain ends, our Church 
has acted entirely within the provisions of her 
prudential prerogative. And the requisition 
of attending class is rightfully enjoined, and 
stands obligatory upon all who enjoy the privi- 
leges of her communion. 

We may advance yet a step further. The 
proper use of this prudential prerogative is not 
only lawful — it is obligatory. Every religious 
community, existing, in the providence of God, 



Their Obligation. 109 

as a Church, not only may, but ought to make 
such regulations, and to institute such usages, 
as will serve its harmony and good order, its 
piety and prosperity. A proneness has some- 
times been shown, with some, to abandon all 
conventional regulations of the Church, and to 
build up religious communities, or Churches, 
without disciplinary rules and usages to which 
their members must conform. "With w T hat suc- 
cess this has been done, the history of such at- 
tempts will show. Well-regulated and orderly 
societies, or Churches, can not be thus formed 
and maintained. They may exist, for a season, 
in a disorderly and incoherent state, without 
efficiency or usefulness, but will soon come to 
naught. So it has been, and so it must ever 
be. Therefore, as the details of a sufficient 
Church government are not furnished, it is the 
duty of every true Church to frame and adopt 
for herself such rules and usages as will secure 
her own good order and spiritual growth, and 
enable her to achieve the great objects of her 
existence. Hence, when it is said that all 
things should be done to the glory of God, and 
that all things should be done decently and in 
order, and to edification, there is more than the 
conveyance of a prerogative ; there is the im- 
position of an obligation. And further, any 



110 Class Meetings. 

Church, haying, in obedience to this obligation, 
instituted such regulations as may promise 
to secure her good order and prosperity, her 
spiritual growth and usefulness, and, especially, 
having found that they very successfully ac- 
complish these objects, ought to maintain them. 
Their maintenance is as much a duty as their 
appointment. We do not know of any princi- 
ple in the Scriptures that would justify a 
Church in voluntarily dispensing with a pru- 
dential regulation, when, at the same time, in 
her best judgment, it was promoting her spirit- 
ual good, and enabling her to accomplish the 
objects of her existence as a Church. Who 
can show us such a principle ? Not one. 

How, then, upon this very plain and sure 
ground, stands the case with our class meet- 
ings? A necessity was seen and felt, at an 
early period, among us, for some such measure 
as a remedy to sore and wasting evils. It 
seemed that the work to which our founders 
were called, in the providence of God, could 
not proceed without it. It was then that the 
institution of class meetings was embraced, in 
honesty of purpose, as the measure needed, and 
in good faith of their appropriateness and effi- 
ciency. And they have ever greatly promoted 
the good order and spiritual edification — the 



Their Obligation. Ill 

piety and prosperity of our communion. Such 
were their results when first instituted. Great 
good was done in ascertaining and reforming 
such as walked disorderly; or, if they proved 
incorrigible, in separating them from the soci- 
eties, so as to avoid the infection and scandal 
of their wicked ways. Great good was also 
accomplished in promoting the Christian union 
and spiritual growth of the various members. 
Such is the account of them given by Mr. Wes- 
ley himself. And such have continued to be 
their results, through all the history of our 
Church, from that period down to the present 
time. And, tell me now, what principle of 
Scripture is there that would, after all this, jus- 
tify our Church in dispensing with them. Most 
plainly, there is none. Having felt their neces- 
sity, and ascertained their usefulness, it is her 
duty to maintain them. All such regulations 
may be modified or amended, changed or dis- 
pensed with, as it may be ascertained that some 
change would improve their usefulness, or that 
they fail to answer any good ends. But the 
case is wholly different where they prove them- 
selves abundantly useful. In this case they 
may not be dispensed with. It is, therefore, 
not within the prerogative of the highest au- 
thorities of the Church, nor in that of all the 



112 Class Meetings. 

Church combined, to dispense with them. 
"Where, then, is the right of any individual 
member to claim an immunity from the obliga- 
tion to attend them? Where is the right of the 
individual minister or pastor to dispense with 
the requisition of attendance? It is sufficient 
to propound these questions. We may safely 
risk the answ T er w r ith those who read them. 

Such, then, is the prerogative of the Church 
in matters of a prudential character — such her 
duty to act upon that prerogative — such her 
obligation to maintain such measures as she 
finds to be wise and good. She must make 
and maintain such regulations as are requisite 
to the accomplishment of her legitimate ob- 
jects — such as will secure decency, and order, 
and edification. Otherwise, all will be inef- 
ficiency, dishonor, disorder, and destruction. 
And any Church that should decline the insti- 
tution of such measures, or, having ascertained 
their usefulness, should dispense with them, 
fails to do w T hat is plainly required of her. 
Who, then, can reasonably doubt of the right- 
fulness of our class meetings ? Who can dis- 
pute the lawfulness of requiring attendance 
upon them? To dispense with this requirement 
would constitute the betrayment of a high 
trust — the abuse of a high prudential preroga- 



Their Obligation. 113 

tive — the sacrifice of a measure involving alike 
our duty and our interest. Let not this be done. 
Let class meetings be maintained, as legitimate 
in their obligation, and rich in blessings to the 
Church. 

8 



114 Class Meetings. 



CHAPTER IV. 

THE OBLIGATION OF CLASS MEETINGS! 

SECOND GENERAL ARGUMENT. 

FURTHER ARGUMENTS. 

SECTION I. 

GROUND OF THE SECOND GENERAL ARGUMENT 

EXPLAINED AND ESTABLISHED! DESIGN 

OF CLASS MEETINGS. 

"We base the second general argument for 
the obligation of class meetings upon their 
design. We shall have nothing here to do 
with their mere mode any further than briefly 
to consider its adaptation to certain great and 
important ends to be achieved through this 
measure. But the present section will be occu- 
pied in explaining and establishing the princi- 
ples or the ground of the argument. 

An institution may be obligatory because of 
that which it embodies and provides, or be- 
cause of its legitimate objects, while its mere 
mode or form may be indifferent ; indifferent, 
we mean, so far as the question of obligation is 
concerned. This not only may be, but often is, 
the case. It will not be difficult to make the 
truth of this position appear. 



Their Obligation. 115 

Do the Scriptures enjoin obedience to the 
civil government as a duty? Do they require 
this as obligatory upon all resident within the 
limits of each and every civil commonwealth? 
Most plainly they do. "Let every soul be sub- 
ject unto the higher powers; for there is no 
power but of God ; the powers that be are or- 
dained of God. Whosoever, therefore, resist- 
eth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God," 
Rom. xiii, 1, 2. "Submit yourselves to every 
ordinance of man for the Lord's sake : whether 
it be to the king, as supreme, or unto governors, 
as unto them that are sent by him for the pun- 
ishment of evil-doers, and for the praise of 
them that do well. For so is the will of God, 
that with well-doing ye may put to silence the 
ignorance of foolish men," 1 Pet. ii, 13-15. So 
plainly is the duty of obedience to civil gov- 
ernment taught in the Scriptures. So fully, 
therefore, is it a duty. But what then? Has 
God ordained and authorized the various forms 
of civil government? Has he made their mere 
modes obligatory? This would be a defense- 
less position — one which the reader will not 
attempt to maintain, nor even assume. Neither 
a monarchy, nor a republic, nor any other form 
of civil government is, of divine right, obliga- 
tory upon its subjects, so far as the mere form 



116 Class Meetings. 

itself is concerned. If the obligation of civil 
government pertains to its mere mode or form, 
the presumption is fair that the duty of obedi- 
ence is limited to some one government of a 
particular form, as ordained of God. It must 
be limited to one so ordained. Otherwise, he 
must have ordained not only one, but the vari- 
ous forms of government which now exist, and 
also those which have heretofore existed. But 
plainly this is not the case; and, further, if 
there is one, and only one, particular form of 
government ordained and enjoined of God, 
then all others are wrong and inadmissible; 
their laws are a tyranny, and their requisitions 
an oppression; and it hence follows that all 
those living under such governments, and even 
rendering obedience to them, are neglecting, 
and must neglect, the duty of obedience to 
civil government, till placed under that partic- 
ular form of God's ordaining. But any posi- 
tion involving such consequences is plainly 
false. There is no form of civil government 
divinely appointed. The powers, that is, the 
legitimate authorities, of government are the 
ordinance of God ; the modes for the investi- 
ture and exercise of these powers are the or- 
dinance of men. This distinction is fairly 
made in the two passages of Scripture quoted 



Their Obligation. 117 

in this connection. Then it is, in every case, 
the government itself, as ordained of God, that 
is obligatory, and not its mere modes, which 
are determined of men. While, therefore, nei- 
ther a monarchy, nor a republic, nor any other 
form of government is, by Divine right, obliga- 
tory upon its subjects so far as the form itself 
is concerned, yet either is, by Divine right, ob- 
ligatory as embodying and furnishing civil gov- 
ernment. But it is the government, and not 
its mere form, that is obligatory. 

Again: is Church membership a duty? 
This the reader will not deny. But what then ? 
Have the various forms of Church government 
existing among us each a Divine right ? Has 
any one such a right for the mere mode of its 
polity? If the duty of Church membership 
pertains to the mere mode or form of ecclesi- 
astic polity adopted by any one denomination, 
it is necessarily limited to such one, and all 
others are excluded therefrom. Otherwise, 
God has appointed the various forms of Church 
government now existing. Whether a Church 
recognizes and adopts three orders in its minis- 
try, or two, or one ; whether its ministry shall 
be itinerant or settled ; whether it shall admit 
or exclude lay representation; these, and a 
great many other things, are all questions 



118 Class Meetings. 

aside from the grounds of obligation to Church 
membership- All things essential to a Church 
may be embraced under all these diversities in 
the forms of government ; and where the essen- 
tials are embraced, and all things plainly re- 
pugnant to the Scriptures are excluded, there 
is a true Church, whatever its form of polity. 
Otherwise, the duty of Church membership is 
an obligation only to a Church of some partic- 
ular mode of government ; and it would hence 
follow that all Churches of a different polity 
are not Churches of Christ at all, and that all 
in their communion are without the Church, 
and are neglecting, and must neglect, the duty 
of Church membership, till united with the one 
of that particular form of government ordained 
of God. But will the reader admit this? Is 
he at all prepared to admit it? Surely not. 
Such a doctrine might do for Papists ; but it w T ill 
not do for Protestants. Here, then, as in re- 
gard to the obligations of civil government, 
the duty of Church membership pertains not 
to any form of ecclesiastic government, but to 
the Church itself as embodied and furnished 
under some suitable form. 

Now, we are thus brought plainly to see the 
truth of the proposition above made, that an 
institution may be, and often is, obligatory, 



Their Obligation. 119 

because of that which it embraces and provides, 
or because of its legitimate objects, while its 
mere mode or form is indifferent to the question 
of obligation ; and none the less so because the 
mere form is thus indifferent. This is the prin- 
ciple we wished here to establish. The use of 
the principle will be seen in the progress of 
this argument. We next proceed to consider 
and settle three questions which involve certain 
points as to the legitimate rights and duties of 
a Church. 

1. Is it the right and duty of a Church to 
seek to ascertain the religious state and deport- 
ment of her members ? It seems wholly un- 
necessary to argue such a question as this. It 
must receive an affirmative answer from all 
who understand its import. Such must be the 
right and duty of every true Church, because 
she is highly responsible for the salvation of 
her members, and must do all she can to secure 
it. And she can not meet these responsibilities 
and accomplish this object without obtaining 
frequent and, as far as may be, accurate informa- 
tion of their religious state and manner of life. 
"Without such information, how can the strong 
bear the infirmities of the weak? how can we 
bear one another's burdens? how can that 
which is lame be healed rather than turned 



120 Class Meetings. 

out of the way? or how can the spiritual re- 
store, in the spirit of meekness, any one over- 
taken in a fault? All this could not be done ; 
and yet all of it is imposed as a duty upon the 
Church. She must, therefore, seek such infor- 
mation as will enable her rightly to perform 
these solemn and important duties. She must 
have such information in order rightly to feed 
the flock of Christ. Otherwise, she will not be 
able to render that instruction, that admonition 
and reproof, that encouragement and help, 
which, in many instances, are necessary to 
their continuance and growth in grace; and 
what is thus necessary to the Church for the 
right performance of her obligations to her 
members, it is her right and duty to seek. 

Again : this right and duty of the Church 
grow out of others — her right and duty to sus- 
pend or separate unworthy members from her 
communion. These are duties plainly taught 
in the Bible. But how can the Church perform 
them unless she know the religious life of her 
members? Plainly in no just and adequate 
degree. It follows, then, most conclusively, 
that it is the right and duty of a Church to 
seek to ascertain the religious state and deport- 
ment of her members. 

2. Is it the prerogative of a Church to insti- 



Their Obligation. 121 

tute some suitable mode through which to as- 
certain the Christian character and conduct of 
her members ? Such must be her prerogative, 
unless there be some mode divinely appointed. 
But who will pretend that this has been defi- 
nitely done ? Romanists may plead the Divine 
institution of their confessional, but they at- 
tempt its defense in vain. Nor does it at all 
answer the purpose of which we are speaking. 
Plainly there is no definite mode laid down or 
enjoined in the Bible for the ascertainment of 
Christian experience and character. There are 
plain fruits, distinctly-marked characteristics, 
infallible tests, of both. These are divinely 
revealed and noted. But the particular mode 
in which these shall be brought under the ob- 
servation of the Church, and so examined as to 
give her due information of the character of 
her members, is not divinely appointed. This 
is a matter which, like many others, is left to 
the judgment and discretion of the Church 
herself; and as she may not omit the duty of 
seeking to know the religious character of her 
members, it hence follows most conclusively 
that it is her prerogative and duty to institute 
some suitable mode in which to seek such 
knowledge. 

3. Is it the duty of members to allow the 



122 Class Meetings, 

Church to which they may belong an opportu- 
nity for information as to their religious char- 
acter through such suitable mode as she may 
institute? This is very evident. It is a duty 
correlative to the duty of the Church to seek 
such information, and also to her prerogative to 
appoint such suitable mode. The one follows 
necessarily from the other. This right and 
duty of the Church imj)ly a corresponding ob- 
ligation upon the individual members ; and it 
follows, with full certainty, that it is their duty 
to submit to, and observe any such measure 
which she may institute. Otherwise, they re- 
sist, and may of right resist, a measure indis 
pensable to proper Church government, and 
thus make it impracticable for the Church to 
discharge her duties, either to her members, or 
to herself, or to her divine Founder and Head. 
Nothing further is here necessary for the illus- 
tration of this point. 

Now, let us bring the principle first estab- 
lished and those involved in the three questions 
considered together, that we may fully exhibit 
and establish the ground of the present argu- 
ment. Any measure, whether of civil or eccle- 
siastical government, which makes suitable and 
necessary provision for the great duties and 
the legitimate purposes and ends of such gov- 



Their Obligation. 123 

eminent, derives its obligation from the duties 
and objects for which it provides. Here the 
mere form of the institution is indifferent to 
the question of authority. It has other and 
higher grounds of obligation. It stands sus- 
tained and sanctioned by the full obligation of 
its great, legitimate purposes. It is obligatory 
to the full extent of the authority and obliga- 
tion of the duties and ends for the performance 
and achievement of which it provides. In the 
instance of civil government, any measure 
thereof which is suitable and necessary to the 
duties and legitimate objects and ends of good 
government, is sanctioned by all the authority 
and obligation of the government itself; and 
such measure is thus sanctioned entirely irre- 
spective of its mere form. It derives its obli- 
gation from the legitimacy and obligation of 
those things for which it provides. It is obli- 
gatory because of their obligation, and is sanc- 
tioned and sustained by an equal authority; 
and we may not, in such case, plead an immu- 
nity because we may disapprove of the mere 
form or mode of such measure. That is an in- 
different matter. The obligation is in the le- 
gitimacy and authority of the ends provided 
for; and the measure is thereby clothed with 
the highest authority, and it is as much our 



124 Class Meetings. 

duty, by the will of God, to conform to the 
modes of such measure as to obey civil gov- 
ernment itself. Now, the case is just such in 
the instance of Church government. Christ 
instituted a Church to exist as an organized 
community or communities, and imposed upon 
it, or upon them, the performance of certain 
duties and the achievement of certain ends. 
These duties and ends are obligatory by the 
very highest authority. But, in many instances, 
each Church is left to her own institution of the 
measures through which to perform these duties 
and legitimate purposes. In many instances, 
some measure or measures are necessary, and 
she must institute them or come short of the 
divinely-appointed ends of her existence. 
Now, in any such case, a suitable and neces- 
sary measure which any true Church institutes 
derives its obligations, not from its mere form, 
but from the legitimacy and obligation of those 
things for which it provides. It is obligatory 
because of their obligation, and stands sus- 
tained and sanctioned by an equal authority. 
Such measure being necessary and suitable to 
the great ends of Church organization, be- 
comes thereby obligatory by all the authority 
of Church government itself; and the mem- 
bers of any true Church are as much obliged 



Their Obligation. 125 

to the duty of conformity to such measures of 
her institution as they are to the duty of Church 
membership. If this is not so, then all suffi- 
cient Church government is at an end. But we 
have seen that each Church must have due in- 
formation of the character of her members in 
order to the performance of her responsible 
duties, and the achievement of the legitimate 
ends of her existence. "We have seen, also, 
that it is left to the prerogative of each Church 
to institute some suitable measure in order to 
such information. Therefore, any suitable 
measure instituted as a necessary provision for 
such information, in order to these great duties 
and legitimate objects, derives full sanction 
from these duties and objects. It invests itself 
with the fullness of their authority. It stands 
obligatory by that Divine authority which has 
instituted the Church for the performance of 
these duties and the achievement of these ends. 

section rr. 

OBLIGATION OF CLASS MEETINGS SECURELY 

PLACED UPON THE GROUND OF 

THEIR DESIGN. 

We proceed now to place the obligation of 
class meetings upon the ground established in 
the previous section. And we must here recur 



126 Class Meetings. 

to their design, or to the ends for which they 
provide. They constitute a measure through 
which the Church seeks to acquire due infor- 
mation of the character of her members, in 
order that she may suitably and seasonably in- 
struct, edify, encourage, exhort, admonish, re- 
prove, or reclaim them, or, in case of necessity, 
apply the proper discipline in their exclusion. 
Now, we have already seen the legitimacy and 
obligation of these things. They are duties 
and objects which every true Church must ac- 
complish in some way. They are divinely in- 
tended and enjoined in the very institution of a 
Church. We have also seen the full and suffi- 
cient ground of obligation for any suitable 
measure through which a Church provides 
for the performance of these duties and the 
achievement of these ends. Our Church has 
made this provision in the institution of her 
class meetings ; and the most that here remains 
to be done is to consider their suitableness to 
the ends of their institution. If thus suitable, 
they are, because of the ends for which they 
provide, fully obligatory upon the members of 
our communion. 

Do class meetings constitute a suitable meas- 
ure for the ascertainment of Christian char- 
acter in order to the ends for which that ascer- 



Their Obligation. 127 

tainment is sought? It seems to us that no 
better mode could be instituted. They served 
these purposes well from the very first. All 
the members were hereby brought under the 
immediate watch-care of the Church. "By 
this means it was quickly discovered if any of 
them lived in any known sin. This division 
of the people and exclusion of those that 
walked disorderly, without any respect of per- 
sons, were helps which few other communities 
had." (Mr. Wesley.) Such were then, and 
such have continued to be, their suitableness 
and efficiency. But let us consider the subject 
a little more in detail. 

The purpose and the business of these meet- 
ings is to inquire directly into the religious 
state of the several members. Is it objected 
that the statements of members as to their re- 
ligious experience can not be relied upon? But 
why not? It is not, by any means, the only 
instance in which the personal statements of 
the individual are relied upon as evidence of 
Christian character. It is a custom prevailing 
more or less with all denominations who hold 
the doctrine of experimental religion; and 
class meetings, we urge, afford the very best 
opportunities for information upon this subject. 
All the circumstances are most favorable to an 



128 Class Meetings. 

honest and understanding statement of Chris- 
tian experience. Each member, by frequently 
hearing the experience of others, understands 
the more clearly his own, and, hence, is the 
better prepared to present it in a true light. 
Further, it must be, from the circumstances, a 
subject of much reflection with the leader — 
one upon which he is frequently hearing the 
statements of others. He becomes, therefore, 
well instructed himself, and is thus the better 
prepared to examine into and to ascertain the 
gracious state of those committed to his care. 
Further, class meetings, in pursuance of 
their design, afford the most favorable facilities 
for knowing the deportment of the various 
members. Hence, various Scripture tests are 
instituted, various duties are specified and laid 
down as rules for the government of the life of 
the members, in view of which their Christian 
character is to be judged and determined. 
The member is to do no harm, to avoid evil of 
every sort. Under this head many prevalent 
evils are specified as a summary of the things 
to be avoided. He is also to do good in every 
possible way to the souls and to the bodies of 
men. Under this head many duties are speci- 
fied as a summary of the good works that 
should be performed. He must also attend 



Their Obligation. 129 

upon the ordinances of God, or the divinely- 
instituted means of grace. Here are sufficient 
tests. As a man's life conforms, or does not 
conform, to these rules, so is he religious or ir- 
religious. And how shall it be so readily 
known whether it does so conform or not, as 
through our class meetings? The life of the 
several members is brought directly under the 
watch-care, not only of the leader, but also to a 
great extent under that of all the members of 
the same class. At the same time, the gen- 
eral oversight and watch-care of the Church, 
through her pastor and members, are just as 
great and vigilant as though there were no 
classes at all. 

And how, otherwise, is a Church to ascertain 
the Christian character of her members, than 
in these two ways: by a strict examination of 
their experience, and by a vigilant oversight of 
their manner of life? If any can show us a 
more Scriptural, or better way, we will be glad 
not only to see, but also to embrace and adopt 
it. And how can this inquiry and oversight 
be better, or more appropriately and efficiently 
performed, than through the provisions of our 
class meetings? If any can show us a more 
Scriptural, or a more appropriate and efficient 

measure, we will again be glad not only to see, 
9 



130 Class Meetings. 

but also to embrace and adopt it. Of this 
however, we have no hope. 

And does it not seem necessary that somn 
such measure as our class meetings should be 
instituted, in order that a Church may have 
the requisite information as to the character 
and wants of her members ? The history of 
the various Churches will show that the mere 
enrollment of the name upon the journal of 
the Church, or the occasional, or even regular 
attendance of the member upon the ordinances 
and services of religion, in many instances, is 
not a sufficient certificate or guarantee of true 
Christian life. Scattered abroad in community, 
and unobserved by the Church, in the varied 
walks and conflicts of social and business life, 
their religious character must in a great meas- 
ure be unknown to her. We affirm not this of 
all. Some will be observed and known. Nev- 
ertheless, too many will be unknown. In many 
instances, members may absent themselves 
mainly from the ordinances of religion and the 
worship of God, long before their absence is 
known. They may thus perish for the want of 
that instruction and encouragement w^hich the 
Church might have rendered had she known 
their state. Surely there is great advantage 
where the society is divided into small compa- 



Their Obligation. 131 

nies, and each company placed under the imme- 
diate watch-care of some judicious member. 
This provision is as important to the Church, 
and serves all the good purposes of management 
and edification, of training and discipline, as 
the division and distribution of an army under 
the various subordinate officers. 

Does it not follow, now, from the principles 
settled in the previous section, that attendance 
upon class may be required as a term of Church 
membership? Remember, we do not here 
argue their obligation, as means of grace, 
though we consider them invaluable in that 
view. We urge not here any obligation be- 
cause of their mere form. We rest their obli- 
gation upon the ground of their design — the 
great legitimate ends for which they provide. 
They are obligatory because they constitute a 
suitable and necessary measure whereby the 
Church may acquire and maintain a sufficient 
knowledge of the state of her members, so as 
properly to minister to their edification, and 
exercise a suitable discipline over them. If the 
member has a right to refuse to the Church 
an opportunity for such requisite information 
through this measure, he has the same right to 
refuse it through any and every other measure 
which she may institute, and hence to hinder 



132 Class Meetings. 

her from the performance of important duties 
enjoined by her founder. But he has no such 
rights, so directly at war with the rights and 
duties of the Church herself. We do not ex- 
cuse a man from obedience to civil govern- 
ment, though he may not approve of its modes 
of policy, or methods of operation. "We do 
not, on this ground, excuse him from the duty 
of Church membership. The Lord himself 
does not excuse him. Though he might disap- 
prove of the modes and measures of all civil, 
and all ecclesiastical governments that exist, 
still his obligations to obedience to civil gov- 
ernment, and his duty to Church membership 
remain the same. The ground of obligation is 
not, in either case, in the mere form or mode. 
This may be indifferent to obligation in itself, 
while the great principles which it furnishes, 
and the great ends for which it provides, are 
and must be obligatory. Such is the case with 
our class meetings. They are indifferent, in 
their mere form, to the question of obligation. 
At the same time they are obligatory by the 
most competent authority upon all the members 
of our communion, because of the great duties 
and purposes for which they most suitably and 
efficiently provide. From these duties and pur- 
poses, which we have sufficiently explained, 



Their Obligation. 133 

they derive full and legitimate authority. We 
have, also, sufficiently explained the mode in 
which they derive this authority. And thus 
our second general argument is sufficiently es- 
tablished and brought to a sure conclusion. 

section m. 

FURTHER ARGUMENTS. 

"We might here close the argument for the 
obligation of class meetings as a term of Church 
membership. But as this part of the subject, 
upon which we are writing, is most important, 
it will not be improper to offer a few thoughts 
further. We specially desire to treat this part 
fully and fairly, and to allow full place for any 
grounds of objection that may be urged against 
it. We proceed, then, with some further ob- 
servations. 

It was previously made sufficiently plain, 
that all good and well-ordered Churches do 
more or less require certain things of a pruden- 
tial character in order to membership, which 
are not revealed or enjoined in the Scriptures, 
and which are not essential to Christian char- 
acter or to salvation. Now, if a Church may 
not require any such thing, it follow r s that any 
person, that all persons, are excused from join- 
ing any one of them — excused from joining 



134 Class Meetings. 

any at all. Moreover, those within them would 
be excusable in leaving them, and thus utterly 
destroying them all. But no one can soberly 
admit this. It is the duty of every person to 
unite with, and to continue in the communion 
of some Church, where he may publicly profess 
the name of Christ, attend upon the divinely- 
instituted ordinances of religion, and worship 
God. And this secures the principle of the 
lawfulness of requiring, as a term of Church 
membership, the observance of a mere pruden 
tial measure, which is not essential to Christian 
character, or to salvation. 

Again : do Churches, by thus requiring such 
non-essentials, cease to be true Churches? If 
they do, then, as all Churches require, more or 
less, such things, the whole Church becomes 
extinct; yea, never existed. But if they do 
not — as plainly they do not — thus cease to be 
true Churches, then it is the duty of every per- 
son to unite with, and remain in some one. If 
such is not his duty, then the Church may exist, 
and yet a membership in it be a matter of no 
obligation. But as this can not be, as a mem- 
bership is a matter of sacred obligation, we are 
brought again to the same conclusion of the 
lawfulness of prudential requisites as a term of 
Church membership. And the obligation of 



Their Obligation. 135 

class meetings is hereby fully established. ISTo 
prudential regulation of any Church is, for its 
consonance to Scripture and religion, or to the 
principles and purposes of a Church, or for the 
many great and good ends which it achieves, 
more defensible than class meetings. If any 
prudential requisite is lawful, they are lawful. 
Moses followed the judicious advice of Je- 
thro, in dividing the people of Israel into thou- 
sands, and hundreds, and fifties, and tens, and 
in placing over these divisions men of truth 
and godliness. Here, so far as appears from 
the sacred narrative, was a merely-prudential 
arrangement, but one that answered an invalu- 
able purpose. I know it might be inferred, 
though it is not at all stated, that Moses had 
God's approval of this plan. But what less 
can we say of Mr. Wesley in the division of 
his societies into classes, and the appointment 
of men of truth and godliness over them? 
Surely, for all this there were very clear and 
full indications of God's approval. He was 
led, rather by the providence of God than by 
any purpose or plan of his own, to the adoption 
of this measure. And the Divine approval 
came upon it in the form of rich and abundant 
spiritual blessings. And thus this approval 
has continued to be given to the present time. 



136 Class Meetings. 

Since, then, they have been thus blessed and 
sanctioned of God, they are rightfully enjoined 
upon our members. 

Let us, in this connection, glance at the sub- 
ject in its practical bearings. A person ap- 
plies to our Church, or to any other evangelical 
communion, for membership. He understands 
that, either with the expressed or implied 
agreement of conformity to the general usages 
of said Church, he may be received. But he 
objects to certain regulations thereof. He urges 
that they are, and even confessed by the Church 
to be, merely prudential, not specifically revealed 
and enjoined in the Scriptures, and not essen- 
tial to true Christian character, or to salvation, 
and, therefore, should not be required of him. 
What now? Should these things all be sus- 
pended, in his case, or changed for his accom- 
modation? They exist, let it be remembered, 
by appointment of the authorities of said 
Church, and by the hearty approval of the 
great body of its membership. In the judg- 
ment of both, they are in agreement with the 
general principles and discipline of a proper 
Church institution, and efficiently promotive 
of the good order, spirituality, and prosperity of 
their Church. In such a case, surely a Church 
should not change or dispense with its well- 



Their Obligation. 137 

established, well-approved, and well-operating 
regulations and usages, for the accommodation 
of the mere private opinion or taste of any one 
that might so apply for membership. To do 
so would be to substitute his mere opinion, or 
taste, or prejudice, or whatever it may be, for 
the godly judgment of the Church, which is 
sanctioned by a full and well-tried experience. 
Besides, there would be no end for such changes 
or suspensions. And if granted for such rea- 
sons, the general prudential regulations and 
usages of every well-regulated Church would 
be totally unsettled — totally destroyed. 

The same remarks will equally apply to those 
already within the communion of the different 
Churches. One person becomes dissatisfied 
with the regulations and usages of the Church 
to which he belongs. Now, suppose they ought 
to be, and are changed according to his wishes. 
But it may be that the next day he will be as 
much dissatisfied as ever; or if he is not, 
some one else will be. Now, it is plain that 
these suspensions or changes of rules and cus- 
toms should not be made at the instance and 
because of the opinion or wish of individual 
members. Such regulations and usages as have 
been found profitable for good order, and edifi- 
cation, aixl spirituality, and prosperity, ought 



138 Class Meetings. 

to remain according to the will, and for the 
good of the body of the Church-communion 
in which they have been instituted. Other- 
wise, the affairs of no Church can be conducted 
decently, orderly, and to edification. 

Now, such specially is the practical bearing 
of this subject in its application to our Church 
in the instance of class meetings. They are so 
interwoven into our whole system of Church 
polity, so pertinent and important to our econ- 
omy, as to be quite indispensable to the order 
and success of the system itself. No pruden- 
tial measure of any Church is or can be — such 
is our view — more important to the good order, 
the spirituality, and prosperity of such Church 
than class meetings are to ours. No prudential 
measure has more effectually promoted and se- 
cured these great interests. They have the 
highest sanction of our Church authorities, and 
the hearty approval of the great body of our 
members. They have wrought most success- 
fully, for good, with us, through our whole his- 
tory. Ought we, then, to suspend or change 
them at the instance of individuals who may 
desire a membership with us, but who may re- 
fuse their consent to the observance of this 
usage? Or ought we to grant an immunity 
from the requisition to attend class to such 



Their Obligation. 139 

within our Church as may refuse so to do? 
Surely we ought to do none of those things. 
Such a course would be to break up our system 
of Church economy. Its order and efficiency, 
its spirituality and power, its usefulness and 
prosperity would be at an end. And it must, 
in view of all this, be lawful for us to maintain 
the rule which requires attendance upon class. 
But if the principles we advocate be acted 
upon, may not Christians be refused, or ex- 
cluded from, the privileges of Church member- 
ship ? We can not deny but that they possibly 
may be. Yet we are fully persuaded they very 
rarely will be. But what alternative have the 
Churches in such a case ? Either they must so 
frame their regulations and usages as to suit 
all, or they must not require the observance of 
them, either in receiving or retaining members, 
or they must be liable to the possibility of re- 
fusing or excluding true Christians from the 
privileges of Church membership. Now, the 
first is manifestly impossible, and, therefore, 
out of the question. And it needs no argu- 
ment to show which they should choose of the 
other two. For if they should not require the 
observance of such regulations and usages, 
either in receiving or retaining members, they 
^ould cause hundreds to be deprived of their 



140 Class Meetings. 

membership, while in the other mode they 
would not put in jeopardy the membership of 
even one. 

Then where is the responsibility, even if true 
Christians are refused or excluded from the 
privileges of Church membership ? Rights of 
conscience excepted, it is one of the plainest 
principles, that, in all communities, individual 
rights and opinions must be subordinate to the 
judgment and measures of the community. In 
no case is this more so than in Church commu- 
nities; for what is this plain principle but a 
principle of good order ? and no where should 
this be so complete as in a Church. And tell 
me now, what right of reason or revelation has 
an individual, though he be a true Christian, to 
claim to be received and retained in the com- 
munion of a Church, and at the same time to 
disregard its general prudential regulations and 
usages ? Plainly, no right at all. And if in 
such case, and for such reason, he is deprived 
of membership, the responsibility is wholly his 
own. It is his duty to conform to the Church, 
and not the duty of the Church to conform to 
him. 

And the Scriptures are in agreement with 
the principles we advocate. They plainly in- 
culcate the duty of subordination to the gen- 



Their Obligation. 141 

eral disciplinary regulations and usages of the 
Church. " Obey them that have the rule over 
you, and submit yourselves ; for they watch for 
your souls as they that must give account, that 
they may do it with joy and not with grief; 
for that is unprofitable for you," Heb. xiii, 17. 
Now, this obedience to the ruling authorities of 
the Church can not be duly rendered unless 
the general rules and regulations thereof be 
observed; and yet this obedience is enjoined 
as a duty upon all. Further, the disorderly 
are severely reprehended, and the Church en- 
joined to withdraw from such, or to refuse them 
Christian fellowship. "Now, we exhort you, 
brethren, warn them that are unruly," 1 Thess. 
v, 14. "Now, we command you, brethren, in 
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye 
withdraw yourselves from every brother that 
walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition 
he received of us," 2 Thess. iii, 6. It is not 
denied that these passages condemn other dis- 
orders than those which consist in the violation 
or disregard of the prudential usages and reg- 
ulations of a Church, yet they must include 
these, unless their application be unduly lim- 
ited ; and we have before had occasion to quote 
passages, the full requirements of which can 
not be met without an observance of the pru- 



142 Class Meetings. 

dential regulations and customs of the Church; 
such as, "Let all things be done decently and 
in order;" and, " Let all things be done unto edi- 
fying." There can not be either decency, or 
order, or edification in any Church where such 
rules and usages are allowed to be disregarded. 

We think now the position fully established 
that our Church may rightfully require attend- 
ance upon class as a term of membership. If 
any true Christian can not join us because of 
this requisition, we leave him at full liberty to 
go elsewhere. This is all we have to do with 
him. If any such among us become so dissat- 
isfied with the requisition that they can not 
obey it, let them quietly withdraw, and go else- 
where. But if they claim the privileges of 
membership, and yet persist in the willful neg- 
lect of class, let them, after due forbearance, 
entreaty, and admonition, be laid aside. The 
responsibility is wholly theirs. They are yet 
free to go elsewhere. If they do, well; but if 
they do not, they have voluntarily, and upon 
their own responsibility, deprived themselves 
of the privileges of Church membership. 

Two observations may be proper, in conclud- 
ing the subject of this and the preceding chap- 
ters, as a guard against wrong inferences as to 
the character and position in which we have 






Their Obligation. 143 

viewed a true Church of Christ, or from the 
general principles upon which we have based 
our arguments. 

As to the character and position of a true 
Church, we have viewed every such one as in- 
vested, according to the will of God, with cer- 
tain rights and prerogatives of self-government, 
of instituting and establishing, in harmony 
with the general principles of the Gospel, rules 
and regulations for her own orderly manage- 
ment and edification, and of requiring the ob- 
servance of them upon the part of all who are 
permitted to enter or to remain in her commu- 
nion. Now, it may not be inferred from this 
that there is conceded to any Church a rightful 
character of selfishness, or that she may right- 
fully assume a position of exclusiveness. She 
is thus invested with such right and prerogative, 
not for any ends of her own, either of arro- 
gance, or pride, or oppression, but only that she 
may the more fully achieve the designs of di- 
vine Benevolence in her institution — designs 
which specially propose and seek the spiritual 
elevation and happiness, the present and eternal 
salvation of mankind ; and wherever a Church 
does in fact, or even assumes a right to disre- 
gard the spiritual good either of those within 
or of those without her pale, she is guilty of 



144 Class Meetings. 

daring and impious arrogance, and may not 
longer expect the favor and smiles of God. 
Alas ! that this should have been so often done! 
But too often has the Church sought a position 
of haughtiness and tyranny, seeking her own 
aggrandizement, her own wordly pomp and 
display, and, at the same time, dealing out 
anathemas against all who might differ from 
her, or dispute her claims. How far away is 
all this from her true mission of mercy ! The 
spirit of Christ should be her spirit. Her aim, 
like his, should be to seek and to save the lost, 
to proclaim good tidings to all, and to welcome 
home all who return in the spirit of the Gospel. 
Again: it may not be inferred from the 
rights and prerogatives of the Church, whereby 
she may make suitable rules and regulations, 
for the purposes of good government and or- 
derly and edifying worship, that there is therein 
a sufficient warrant for all the regulations and 
usages instituted in any and every Church. 
Many of these tend neither to decency nor 
order. They in no wise minister to edification ; 
nor do they promote the spirituality or pros- 
perity of the Church. They rather hinder or 
destroy both. Here, again, the Church has too 
often erred. She has burdened herself with 
rites and superstitions that have enslaved and 






Their Obligation. 145 

corrupted her members. Now, all such things 
are plainly repugnant to the Scriptures — to the 
general principles which, in all such things, 
must ever be our limit and our guide. They 
are, therefore, not only not authorized, but 
plainly prohibited by the word of God. No 
prudential regulation may rightfully be insti- 
tuted or maintained which is contrary to the 
Scriptures — none which hinders or opposes 
rather than promotes the cause of Christ. 
10 



146 Class Meetings. 



CHAPTER V. 

OBJECTIONS TO CLASS MEETINGS CONSID- 
ERED: PRUDENCE REQUISITE IN 
EXCLUDING FOR NON- 
ATTENDANCE. 

SECTION I. 
OBJECTIONS TO CLASS MEETINGS CONSIDERED. 

"We do not propose an elaborate considera- 
tion of objections. "We have thus far aimed so 
to discuss and present the subject of class 
meetings as both to anticipate and to obviate 
the main objections that are alleged against 
them ; and this same course will be pursued in 
the parts that remain. Yet some notice of 
them may be proper in this place. Some of 
those that we shall notice are such as would be 
urged rather by those out of our communion 
than by those in it. Others are such as would 
be urged rather by our own members than by 
others. We do not, however, deem it import- 
ant definitely to note any division of these 
classes. We shall treat them successively as 
arranged under one general head of objections. 

First, then, it has been much objected against 
class meetings that they are not Scriptural. If 






Objections Considered. 147 

by this it is meant that they are not specifically 
revealed or enjoined in the Scriptures, the ob 
jection is allowed. This has before been fully 
conceded. But if it be meant that they are 
contrary to the Scriptures, or that, because they 
are not specifically revealed or enjoined, they 
are, therefore, unlawful, this objection is denied 
as wholly invalid. We have had previous oc- 
casion sufficiently to show that class meetings 
are not in any wise repugnant to the Scriptures, 
or to religion, or to the character and duties of 
a true Church of Christ, but in full harmony 
with all. The objection we are considering, 
therefore, requires no further notice in the sense 
of their being contrary to Scripture. Are class 
meetings unlawful because not sj)ecifically re- 
vealed or enjoined in the Scriptures ? Here 
again we might refer to the arguments which 
we have offered in support of their obligation 
as entirely sufficient to show that they are not 
for such reason unlawful. Tet we embrace 
this as a suitable occasion for a few further 
remarks. 

First: if class meetings are unlawful, it is 
wrong to attend them. They can not be at- 
tended with a good, enlightened conscience. 
No authority or sanction of any Church can 
make that right and lawful which, by the prin- 



148 Class Meetings. 

ciples of revelation and religion, is rendered 
wrong and unlawful . Such is the logical con- 
sequence of this sense of the objection. But 
can any one attempt soberly to maintain the 
position that it is wrong to attend class ? that it is 
a violation of an enlightened, good conscience? 
Surely not. Or, if for this reason it is wrong 
to attend class, for the very same reason it is 
wrong either to become or to remain a member 
of any Church now existing; for, as we have 
before seen, you can not do either in any Church 
without conforming to prudential regulations, 
not specifically instituted in the Scriptures. 
Concerning all such prudential matters, we 
have no occasion for more than two inquiries : 
Are they contrary to the Scriptures ? and, Do 
they promote the good of the Church in which 
they are instituted? If they are not contrary 
to the Scriptures, and if they do promote the 
good of the Church, we can see no reason — 
indeed there is none — why we may not law- 
fully, and with a good, enlightened conscience, 
observe them. 

The next remark is, that there is a sufficient 
reason, with a good, enlightened conscience, 
why we should observe such usages and regu- 
lations. Every true Church, as we have suffi- 
ciently shown, is invested with the prerogative 



Objections Considered. 149 

of arranging such matters for herself, in con- 
formity to the general principles of revelation. 
They are, therefore, of legitimate authority and 
binding obligation when so arranged. In every 
society there must be, in order to its existence 
and good government, a ruling or governing 
power — one invested with the prerogative of 
making and enforcing necessary and suitable 
rules and regulations. And this, as we have 
seen, is pre-eminently so with a religious soci- 
ety or Church community. We have no occa- 
sion now to inquire where or what this ruling 
power is, but only to apply the principle to the 
case of our class meetings. These meetings, 
so greatly subservient of the spiritual good of 
our communion, exist among us by appoint- 
ment of the recognized and acknowleged au- 
thorities of our Church, and also by the full 
consent and hearty approval of the great body 
of our ministers and members. It is plain, 
therefore, that this ruling power, existing by 
the will of God in our Church, as it does in 
every Church raised up and existing through 
his providence, is somewhere embraced in this 
full range of our acknowledged authorities, and 
the great body of our ministers and members. 
Class meetings, therefore, do exist among us by 
the very highest and fullest authority of our 



150 Class Meetings. 

Church. The law of their institution and obli 
gation is as much a law with us as is the con 
stitution of the United States the organic law 
of the national government. We may, there- 
fore, with sufficient reason, apply to all the 
members of our communion, in regard to at- 
tending class, these words of St. Paul : " Obey 
them that have the rule over you, and submit 
yourselves." There is no case to which they 
are more applicable. A refusal to observe this 
regulation of our Church is specially an in- 
stance of disobedience, not only because of the 
full authority that sanctions and requires it, but 
more particularly because this is emphatically 
the measure for the proper administration of 
discipline with us. Whoever, therefore, of our 
members refuses to attend class, throws himself 
beyond or without our special provision for the 
maintenance of good government in the proper 
application of discipline. How plainly, then, 
is this an act of disobedience! It is as one 
offense whereby the offender is guilty of all 
offenses of disorder. It is in effect to claim an 
entire immunity from the government of the 
Church. Now, connect all these things with 
the solemn injunction, " Obey them that have 
the rule over you, and submit yourselves," and 
tell me, then, is not here a reason with the con- 



Objections Considered. 151 

science of every Methodist why he should, if 
he can, attend class? I will risk the answer 
with the reader. 

Another objection is, that class meetings are 
mainly a peculiarity of Methodism, that the 
Church of Christ long did without them, and 
that other leading denominations do without 
them now. A few words will sufficiently obvi- 
ate this objection. If any, as Methodists, urge 
this as a reason against class meetings, they 
need, by no means, stop with them. Our reg- 
ular and specifically-formed itinerancy, our pe- 
culiar form of episcopacy, our presiding elder- 
ship, and our particular mode of receiving 
members — not to name other things — are quite 
as much peculiarities of Methodism as class 
meetings ; and we have no more reason to ob- 
ject to them than to any one of the others, 
simply upon the ground of their peculiarity to 
us. And as for others who may urge this ob- 
jection, we have only to say, that we have no 
knowledge of any reason why we should con- 
form our peculiarities to theirs rather than that 
they should conform theirs to ours ; and, till they 
give us the information of such reason, we have 
no occasion further to discuss the subject with 
them. 

The circumstance of closing doors, or the 



152 Class Meetings. 

exclusion, mainly, of such as are not members 
of our Church, has often been objected to class 
meetings. This objection evidently mistakes 
the special character and chief purposes of the 
institution. We have before explained that it 
is a measure of Church oversight — of pastoral 
and disciplinary provisions. It is for the ascer- 
tainment of suitableness for membership in 
those that apply for it, and in those that wish 
to continue in communion with us. It is for 
the ascertainment of the spiritual state or wants 
of the members, so that the duties of the pas- 
toral office may be properly discharged toward 
them. It is for the ascertainment of such cases 
as require an application of discipline in their 
correction or exclusion. Now, what right have 
either the members of other Churches or those 
w T ho are not members of any, to these provi- 
sions and offices of our Church ? Plainly, none 
at all. Those wiio apply for membership in 
other Churches have no more right to the ex- 
aminations and trainings of our class meetings 
in order to membership, than those applying to 
us have a right to the catechetic instructions 
or to the examinations and advices of a session 
in other Churches in order to membership; 
and the members of other Churches are no 
more entitled to the provisions of our special 



Objections Considered. 153 

measure of Church oversight, of pastoral and 
disciplinary offices, than ours are so entitled to 
those of others. These matters are very plain; 
and they are a sufficient reply to the objection. 
I know of no reason, either of obligation or 
expediency, why we should make any change 
in this matter. Certain it is, that if they were 
thrown freely open to all, and the privilege 
of attendance were generally embraced, their 
whole character would soon be changed, and 
they would utterly fail to accomplish the special 
objects of their institution. 

Some object to class meetings as affording 
temptations to false professions in religion. I 
know not any reason for this objection. Sure 
it is, there is nothing in the institution itself, 
nor in the character of its exercises, that either 
tempts or prompts to hypocrisy. There is no 
where a more entire absence of rivalship or of 
improper emulation as to who shall be greatest 
or best. It is possible that persons may make 
false professions in stating their religious expe- 
rience in class. But this is equally possible in 
any instances of personal conversation upon 
the same subject; equally possible in any con- 
ference meetings where religious experience is 
the theme of conversation; equally possible 
when a pastor shall visit the members of his 



154: Class Meetings. 

pastoral care, and commune with them upon 
their state in grace and their manner of life. 
But what now? Shall all this be given up, all 
these duties neglected, all these privileges sur- 
rendered, because, possibly, some may be 
guilty of false professions in religion. The 
reader will answer, No. Yery well. And no 
more ought we, or will we, give up, upon this 
ground, the duties and privileges of class meet- 
ings. Here all modes and measures of Chris- 
tian profession stand upon the same footing. 
The defense of class meetings is, therefore, as 
good as that of others. This is all that now 
concerns us. 

Some object to attend class, alleging, as their 
reason, an embarrassment to speak in them. 
This embarrassment may be greatly obviated or 
removed through the manner of speaking to 
such. They may and ought to be so met in 
class, so conversed with there, as greatly, if not 
entirely, to free them from this hinderance. 
Therefore, let such cases be particularly com- 
municated to the leader, and let him accommo- 
date his manner to them. Instead of requiring 
such persons to speak in the more formal 
mode — concerning which more hereafter — let 
him address to them a few simple, plain ques- 
tions in order, and receive their answers, so as 



Objections Considered. 155 

thereby to acquire information of their state. 
It seems to me that the most diffident could, in 
this way, engage in the exercises of the class 
with but little or no embarrassment. And, fur- 
ther, use will accomplish much for such. If 
they would but command the resolution to en- 
gage in these exercises, embarrassment would 
soon be thrown off. Unfortunately, some take 
another course. They confess to themselves 
that they can not speak, and they are thereby 
robbed of the little strength or courage they 
had ; and now their embarrassment or timidity 
will constantly increase. This should not be 
so. All such should cultivate a sense of duty 
upon this subject, and a determined resolution 
to its performance. It is a plain injunction of 
Scripture, that we be always ready to give to 
every man that asketh a reason of the hope 
that is within us, with meekness and fear. 
K"ow, if such is our duty, we ought earnestly 
to try to maintain a preparation for its perform- 
ance; for Christians are ever liable to be in- 
quired of upon this subject. Surely, then, if 
they should be thus ready to answer any and 
every one, they should not deem it an oppress- 
ive burden to speak in the circle of their class- 
mates, with whom they are united in Christian 
sympathies and brotherly love. Though it be 



156 Class Meetings. 

done with meekness and fear, yet perform this 
important Christian duty. Indeed, this is the 
spirit in which it should be performed. A 
spirit of timidity that leads to the neglect of 
duty should be studiously avoided — earnestly 
resisted and overcome. How many have con- 
fessed Christ unto the death! Surely, then, 
we should be ready to confess him, and to con- 
verse upon our religious state in the class-room. 
Others object to attending, urging, as a rea- 
son, that the exercises of the class are not prof- 
itable to them. It may be fairly presumed 
that, in most cases, this is for the want of a 
sufficient, or of a proper, unprejudiced trial. 
In all such cases the fault is with the person 
making the objection, and not with the insti- 
tution objected to. But even suppose that 
some few do not derive, upon fair trial, any 
personal profit from them. This can not be 
considered a sufficient reason to disregard a 
general usage which has been found greatly 
useful to the Church throughout the whole pe- 
riod of her history. Moreover, it must be re- 
membered that the primary design of this insti- 
tution is not as a mean of grace, but for the 
ascertainment of the Christian character of the 
several members, with a view to timely and 
proper instruction and encouragement, to the 



Objections Considered. 157 

due performance of pastoral and disciplinary 
offices. So that were it true, even in many 
instances, that class meetings were not di- 
rectly and personally profitable, as a mean 
of grace, yet answering well, as they do, the 
other great and important designs of their in- 
stitution, there is, in this, a sufficient reason, 
both for requiring attendance and for obedience 
to the requisition, upon the part of all who 
claim and enjoy the privileges of our commun- 
ion. 

I will not pass from this point without a 
practical, admonitory thought. Those who do 
not find class meetings profitable, or congenial 
to their religious feelings, would do well care- 
fully to examine into their spiritual state. 
Much, I know, is to be allowed to the prejudi- 
ces of education. Yet the exercises of the 
class are so consonant to a true gracious state ; 
they afford so happily the privileges of that 
expression of our religious feelings, and of 
that Christian communion, which fervent re- 
ligious affections so spontaneously seek, that 
they can scarcely fail to be pleasant and profit- 
able to all true Christians who properly engage 
in them. The more extended our observation 
may be, the more fully will we be persuaded 
of the truth of what has just been said. 



158 Class Meetings. 

Others object to class meetings, not as a re- 
ligions privilege, bnt as a Church requisite. 
Such are willing that the institution should re- 
main, but would have attendance a matter of 
mere option, and not of requirement. This is 
a specious objection, and there is danger of its 
gaining too much favor. If, however, it is 
urged upon the ground of a want of lawful- 
ness, or obligation in the institution, we need 
add nothing here. It is enough to refer to 
the chapters where that subject is sufficiently 
discussed. The matter, then, turns upon the 
question of expediency. "Would it add to the 
usefulness of the institution if this modification 
were made? In this view we think the reply 
not difficult. Indeed, if the objection is put in 
its true light it will scarcely demand any reply. 
For here we must say again, the objection pro- 
ceeds upon a mistaken notion of the chief char- 
acter and design of the institution. And the 
proposed modification would radically change 
its whole character, and render it utterly ineffi- 
cient for the achievement of its great and im- 
portant ends. Upon what condition of things 
did the necessity for it rest? Against what 
condition of things did it provide? We have 
already seen, and it is necessary here only to 
recur to them. That condition of things upon 



Objections Considered. 159 

which the necessity for them rested was this : 
More or less of the Methodist societies, because 
of the ordinary influences in such cases ; be- 
cause of the temptations and remaining force 
of evil habits, and the irreligious associations 
of life, were found to be declining or discour- 
aged, fainting or weary, halting or turning 
aside from the ways of true religion. Some 
were so turned aside as to be an infection to 
others, and a scandal to the cause of Christ. 
Yet these were placed so far beyond the watch- 
care of the societies and a sufficient pastoral 
oversight, that neither aid nor correction could 
be timely rendered. And it was against these 
evils that the institution of class meetings was 
intended to provide. Now, the necessity for 
them remains in the very same condition of 
things. And against the very same evils they 
are still intended to provide. Now, then, sup- 
pose the proposed modification to be made, 
and that it is entirely at the choice of each and 
all whether they will attend or not. And now 
who will attend them? Why, those who are 
devoted and happy in religion, and those who 
are in good earnest for their soul's salvation. 
But the great body of the rest — the indifferent 
and delinquent, the discouraged and fainting, 
the wayward and wandering — will not attend, 



160 Class Meetings. 

And yet it is because of their condition, and 
specially for their sake, that the institution ex- 
ists. Do we not see, then, that with such a 
change the institution would lose its true char- 
acter and intent, and utterly fail to accomplish 
the special, important purposes for which it ex- 
ists ? The main reasons and arguments, there- 
fore, which come to the defense and support of 
this institution, whether from its necessity or 
utility, or whether from its character as a meas- 
ure of godly oversight and watch- care, or of 
pastoral and disciplinary provisions and offices, 
do most fairly and fully come to its defense and 
support in its present position as a Church 
requisite. 

section n. 

PRUDENCE REQUISITE IN THE APPLICATION OF 

THE RULE WHICH ENJOINS EXCLUSION FOR 

NON-ATTENDANCE OF CLASS. 

The duty of Church membership is a high 
and sacred obligation. And it involves rights 
and interests correspondingly great. Persons, 
therefore, should not be hastily, or without suffi- 
cient reason, either refused or excluded from 
the privileges of membership. This is specially 
the case in the application of a rule concerning 
prudential matters. Here, especially, there 
should be due forbearance toward delinquents, 



Rule for Exclusion. 161 

and earnest, continued efforts to reclaim and 
save them. And it seems plain to me that if 
any other course is taken in the enforcement of 
the rule in the instance of class meetings, it 
will not only be contrary to what is allowable 
in such a case, but especially contrary to the 
spirit and intent of the rule which is to be our 
guide. It is proper here briefly to consider 
this rule. 

And, first, it is fully in character with the 
doctrine before set forth, that class meetings 
are, with us, a merely-prudential regulation, 
and not of divine appointment and injunction. 
The term of the rule which expresses the pen- 
alty for non-attendance is " exclusion," and not 
expulsion. This shows sufficiently that this 
offense is not classed with immoralities, where 
it would be classed if this institution were 
placed upon the footing of a divine ordinance. 
If an immorality, expulsion would, according 
to our code of spiritual penalties, be the term 
to express the penalty in this instance. Fur- 
ther, in regard to delinquents in this case who 
can not be reclaimed, it is enjoined in the rule, 
"Let them be laid aside, and let the preacher 
show that they are excluded for a breach of 
our rules, and not for immoral conduct." Here 

the penalty is, "laid aside," not expulsion; and 
11 



162 Class Meetings 

it is to be distinctly noted as an exclusion for a 
breach of rules, and not for immoral conduct. 
All this is as it should be. Nor should this 
character of the rule ever be overlooked. And 
it should never be assumed nor admitted, that 
class meetings are a term of membership in the 
same sense with the ordinances of religion, 
which are of divine institution. These remarks 
are made, not at all to weaken the obligation 
of class meetings, but to keep them, as every 
thing should be, in their own true position. 

Further, the rule, in this case, inculcates due 
forbearance. Those who become liable to be 
proceeded against are such as "willfully and 
repeatedly neglect to meet their class." At 
this stage they must, if practicable, be visited 
by the pastor — it being, of course, understood 
that the leader has already visited them, and 
advised, admonished, or reproved them. For 
it is made his duty to report such as walk dis- 
orderly and will not he reproved — plainly im- 
plying that he shall have administered the re- 
proof before he reports them. Being reported, 
after all this, the pastor is to visit them and ex- 
plain the consequence, if they continue to neg- 
lect. After this, if they do not amend, the 
rule must be applied in their exclusion. Now, 
it must be plain, even to the eye of a super- 



Utile for Exclusion. 163 

ficial observer, that here is provision for due 
forbearance in the enforcement of this rule. 
These things are no reason, whatever, for an 
over delay, much less for an utter neglect, in 
the application of this rule. Yet a reasonable 
forbearance is due in such cases of disorder, 
and should be rendered in conformity with the 
rule. 

Again : earnest and continued efforts should 
be made for the reclamation of such as are 
guilty of a breach of this rule. A reference 
to the rule itself will show that this is provided 
for and required. Indeed, forbearance and 
efforts for the reclamation of offenders, and, 
especially, if there be any signs of penitence 
and reformation, are always a duty, unless in 
some cases of a peculiarly-aggravated or scan- 
dalous character. Here it is needful that dis- 
cipline should be more speedily enforced. But 
especially in the case of a breach of rules of a 
prudential character, and when no immorality 
may be alleged, special pains should be taken 
to bring the delinquent to better views, and to 
a compliance with the requisitions and usages 
of the Church. 

When it becomes necessary to proceed with 
regular forms of trial against members for a 
breach of this rule ; and where there are, also, 



164 Class Meetings. 

just grounds of charge for the neglect of great 
and vital duties of religion, such as are con- 
tained in the general rules, non-attendance of 
class should not alone be made the ground of 
charge. For this course might seem to indi- 
cate that we hold the duty of attending class 
above the moral duties and divinely-instituted 
ordinances of religion. This should not be 
done. No occasion should be allowed for any 
such wrong inference. And yet there is some- 
times a temptation to this. It may often be 
difficult to collect evidence and establish a 
charge for other cases of delinquency with 
which a member may seem properly to be 
chargeable, while, at the same time, it would 
be easy to prefer and sustain the charge of a 
willful and repeated neglect of class. Let not 
this temptation be yielded to. It is a very ex- 
treme case that would at all justify such a 
course. 

And yet we must ever hold non-attendance 
of class as a sufficient ground of charge in 
itself. And while it should not take the place 
of others, yet if it exist in connection with oth- 
ers, it should still occupy its own proper place, 
and constitute a ground of charge in connec- 
tion with them ; for if other grounds of charge 
were allowed to supersede or exclude this, it 



Rule foe Exclusion. 165 

would be so rarely enforced that it would lose 
all its sanction as a law of the Church; be- 
cause instances will be extremely rare where 
this will exist as the only sufficient ground of 
charge against a member. It scarcely may be 
supposed that any person desiring a member- 
ship with us, who enjoys some measure of relig- 
ion, or who is, in some good degree, in earnest 
for his soul's salvation, will refuse a compliance 
with the requisition to attend class. Such 
would be the conclusion were we to reason upon 
the subject. And this conclusion would be 
supported by the results of the most extended 
observation. Both classes of delinquency, then, 
must have their proper place. This must not 
supersede others, nor must others exclude this. 
Thus we shall guard against wrong inferences, 
and secure more fully the moral force of our 
measures of discipline. 



166 Class Meetings. 



CHAPTER VI. 

BENEFITS OF CLASS MEETINGS. 

SECTION I. 

USEFUL TRAINING FOR THE YOUNG AND 

INEXPERIENCED. 

We have already seen that the primary and 
chief design of class meetings, is the ascertain- 
ment of the religious state and deportment of 
the members of the Church, with a view to the 
proper performance of pastoral and discipli- 
nary offices. They are not, therefore, instituted 
solely as direct helps to the promotion of ex- 
perimental and practical religion. We mean 
not by this, however, that they are of little ad- 
vantage as such helps. We believe that in 
this view they are of incalculable value. And 
when we connect these and those, which par- 
ticularly relate to Methodism, with the benefits 
which pertain directly to the primary design 
of the institution, we find them such in number 
and character as very greatly to commend our 
class meetings. Yet we do not deem it import- 
ant to treat elaborately this part of our subject; 
for we have aimed to pursue, throughout, such 
a plan of discussion as would constantly ex- 



Their Benefits. 167 

hibit these benefits. We wish, however, here 
to group them into a more connected and dis- 
tinct view. 

Class meetings furnish suitable and efficient 
training for the young and the inexperienced. 
Many such must be enrolled in the Church. 
And the more fully she accomplishes the ends 
of her divine mission, the greater number of 
both classes will be brought within her pale. 
The Gospel provides for all. It is adapted to 
all. And it is the mission of the Church to 
preach it to all, and, so far as she can, to disci- 
ple and baptize all, to bring them into her priv- 
ileges, to throw around and over them her 
w r atch~care and protection, to instruct them in 
the ways of religion, and to train them up for 
heaven. She must, then, in pursuance of her 
mission, gather in many of the young and the 
inexperienced. Not only the young who have 
been trained in the nurture and fear of the 
Lord, whose parents have imbued their hearts 
with a love for religion, and stored their minds 
with the principles and precepts of the Gospel, 
or those w r ho have been favored with all the 
privileges of Sabbath school instruction, but 
those also who have been destitute of religious 
instruction and example must be brought into 
the Church. And those of a more mature age, 



168 Class Meetings. 

who have lived in ignorance of religion, whose 
lives have been irregular and vicious, as well 
as those whose lives and habits have, in the 
main, been upright, must be brought in. Such 
is plainly the mission of the Church to all 
classes, characters, and conditions of society. 
Many, therefore, of those brought into the 
Church will, on account of their youth and in- 
experience, require special training in order to 
their steadfastness and progress in religion. 
The children of a family shall as soon be or- 
derly and obedient without parental govern- 
ment ; the pupils of a school shall as soon make 
rapid progress in knowledge without suitable 
instruction ; the fresh volunteers in their coun- 
try's cause shall as soon form a well-disciplined 
army without proper drill; the vine shall as 
soon spring forth and spread its branches in 
luxuriance and fruitfulness upon the unfenced, 
uncultured, and barren hill, as such shall, 
without suitable training, abound and mature 
in the graces and practices of a true Christian 
life. Now, for the proper training of these, 
every Church should sufficiently provide. In- 
deed, there are few, very few, brought into the 
Church, whatever their age, or religious educa- 
tion, or habits of life, who do not need suitable 
training in order to success in the Christian 



Their Benefits. 169 

enterprise; for here all are inexperienced in 
the beginning — inexperienced in the opposi- 
tions and temptations to be encountered — inex- 
perienced in the means of grace and the prac- 
tices of religion — inexperienced in watchful- 
ness and prayer — inexperienced in the trials 
and triumphs of faith. 

Now, class meetings provide, in a very ap- 
propriate and efficient manner, just such train- 
ing as all such cases require. Here they are 
placed at once under the vigilant, maternal 
watch-care of the Church; they are brought 
into the immediate communion of well-in- 
structed, experienced, and established Chris- 
tians; they acquire very much of the most 
valuable information from the details of such 
as to the experience and habits of their relig- 
ious life; as to their temptations and trials, 
and their gracious deliverances and triumphs, 
through faith and prayer. Such, too, derive 
great advantage from their direct intercourse 
with the leader. He inquires particularly into 
their state and progress. He ascertains their 
hinderances, the weights that impede their prog- 
ress, the influences that tend to turn them 
aside, their weaknesses and besetments. Then 
he gives them such instruction as their various 
characters or conditions require. And this is 



170 Class Meetings. 

done, not only once, but frequently; once a 
week, at least, the privilege of this help is af- 
forded. And thus, by this continued and ap- 
propriate culture, the young and the inexperi- 
enced receive a suitable and successful relig- 
ious training; their experience is deepened 
and developed ; they learn to attend faithfully 
upon the ordinances of religion; they learn 
to be steadfast and immovable, always abound- 
ing in the work of the Lord. Here, then, in 
our class meetings we have an institution well 
adapted to this great work — the proper train- 
ing of the young and inexperienced in the 
knowledge and love of God. And herein is 
one of their many great benefits. 

section n. 

CHRISTIAN COMMUNION AND SELF-EXAMINA- 
TION. 

Class meetings afford the privileges of Chris- 
tian communion in a mode peculiarly interest- 
ing and profitable. This is a great benefit. 
All need it, and but few would continue long 
without it. Communion with the people of 
God supplies constant encouragement and sup- 
port. It is sunshine to the soul; it is life, and 
strength, and hope to the spirit. Encouraged 
and sustained, blessed and cheered with its 



Their Benefits. 171 

sympathies and smiles, its comforts and helps, 
many urge on their course to heaven, who, left 
to themselves to journey alone, would weary, 
and faint by the way. 

This Christian communion was a great lack 
of the Church in Mr. "Wesley's day, particu- 
larly of the Church of England, to which he 
belonged. And this lack he happily supplied 
for the Methodist societies in the institution of 
class meetings. The want of this communion 
he thus sets forth in his reply to the charge that 
he was making a schism in the Church, and 
breaking up Christian fellowship, by forming 
societies, in part, of persons who were members 
of the National Church. 

"If it be said, 'But there are some true 
Christians in the parish, and you destroy Chris- 
tian fellowship between these and them, 5 I an- 
swer, That which never existed can not be de- 
stroyed. But the fellowship you speak of 
never existed. Therefore, it can not be de- 
stroyed. Which of those true Christians had 
any such fellowship with these? Who watched 
over them in love? Who marked their growth 
in grace? Who advised and exhorted them 
from time to time? Who prayed with them 
and for them, as they had need? This, and 
this alone, is Christian fellowship; but, alas! 



172 Class Meetings. 

where is it to be found ? Look east or west, or 
north or south; name what parish you please; 
is this Christian fellowship there ? Rather, are 
not the bulk of the parishioners a mere rope of 
sand? What Christian connection is there be- 
tween them? What intercourse in spiritual 
things? What bearing of one another's bur- 
dens? What a mere jest is it, then, to talk so 
gravely of destroying what never was! The 
real truth is just the reverse of this : we intro- 
duce Christian fellowship where it was utterly 
destroyed. And the fruits of it have been 
peace, joy, love, and zeal for every good word 
and work." 

Again: of the intimacy and advantages of 
Christian fellowship, secured through the insti- 
tution of class meetings, he thus speaks : 

"It can scarce be conceived what advantages 
have been reaped from this little prudential 
regulation. Many now happily experience that 
Christian fellowship of which they had not so 
much as an idea before. They began to 'bear 
one another's burdens,' and naturally to ' care 
for each other.' As they had daily a more in- 
timate acquaintance with, so they had a more 
endeared affection for, each other. And, P speak- 
ing the truth in love, they grew up into him in 
all things, who is the head, even Christ; from 



Their Benefits. 173 

whom the whole body, fitly joined together, 
and compacted by that which every joint sup- 
plied, according to the effectual working in the 
measure of every part, increased unto the edi- 
fying itself in love.' " 

The benefits of Christian association depend 
very much upon its intimacy. It is not meet- 
ing in the same congregation, nor waiting upon 
the same ministry, nor even kneeling at the 
same altar, that constitutes proper Christian 
fellowship. Church members may meet thus, 
and yet have but little of " the communion of 
saints." He knows but little of the feelings of 
Church members who will not accord to the 
truth of this statement. He who is accustomed 
to meet and converse with members generally 
will find that many have with the Church — 
even with that to which they belong — but little 
proper Christian communion. And this is par- 
ticularly true as to the ordinary modes of asso- 
ciation for religious worship. Nor is this 
always, nor generally, perhaps, because they 
are not in attendance upon the public services 
of religion, but because they are, to so great an 
extent, strangers to those who meet with them 
in these services. For the want of a proper 
acquaintance with those with whom we worship, 
there can be but little of that commingling of 



174: Class Meetings. 

soul with, soul which is the very spirit and lif 
of Christian communion. Hence, many woi 
shipers feel alone in the midst of crowded &i 
semblies. Many seem to themselves to journey 
quite alone in the way to Zion; not because 
others do not journey thither, but because they 
do not fall in company with them. And this 
is often one of the greatest hinderances to per- 
severance and progress in the journey of Chris- 
tian life. Here many stumble and fall. With- 
out that intimacy and sympathy of Christian 
communion which they have reason to expect, 
and which, indeed, their circumstances require, 
they become discouraged and are turned aside, 
or faint and perish by the way. 

Here, then, in the institution of class meet- 
ings, there is, at least to a great extent, a 
remedy for these evils. Here is a measure of 
intimate Christian fellowship. Every member 
is, or may be, at least, brought into close com- 
munion with the members of his own class. 
He realizes the communion of the class-room. 
He finds that here the disciples of Christ are 
one, and have fellowship one with another; 
that they mutually love and care for each other ; 
that they have one heart, one hope, one aim ; 
that here spirit sympathizes with spirit, heart 
beats to heart, soul commingles with soul. 



Their Benefits. 175 

Here is the true principle of Christian associa- 
tion. Through this measure its efficiency and 
good fruits are very fully secured. Here is 
realized that intimacy of communion which, 
as we saw in the first chapter of this work, 
Christians have often sought as a duty and en- 
joyed as their highest privilege. Here they 
that fear the Lord and think upon his name, 
speak often one to another, and the Lord heark- 
ens and hears, and makes a remembrance of 
them before him, and they shall be his when 
he comes to gather his jewels. Here they 
" rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep 
with them that weep." Here they "comfort 
themselves together, and edify one another." 
Here is communion that agrees with the inti- 
macy of relationship subsisting between Chris- 
tians, as members of the same family of God 
and brethren in Christ. And this, so far from 
separating the member of the class from the 
fellowship of the Church generally, opens up 
the way for a more extended and intimate com- 
munion, so that there is, on both hands, much 
clear gain. We are brought to fuller advan- 
tages of Church fellowship generally. The 
privileges of the class are all additional. Here 
is the true principle of religious association. 
Here is most intimate Christian communion: 



176 Class Meetings. 

and in this, the intimacy of the communion, its 
great advantages consist. 

This much may suffice upon this most inter- 
esting point. It might easily be expanded to 
a volume. The reader may, if he please, recur 
to the first chapter, where we mainly treated 
of the same subject. Our limits will not allow 
any thing further. 

Self-examination is indispensable to progress 
and success in religion. Whatever, therefore, 
secures or promotes it, is, to the same degree, 
of advantage. And herein is a great benefit 
of class meetings. For the want of proper ex- 
amination, many are turned aside, or go back 
from Christ, and walk no more with him. 
There may be no perceptible disposition thus to 
turn away from God or religion, or to turn 
again to the ways of sin. No inclinings of 
such kind may be observed. Yet tendencies 
to evil operate within us; influences to evil 
ever bear upon us ; cross currents are ever en- 
countered that will imperceptibly turn us aside 
from our true course. Gradually the strength 
of our purpose, the fervor of our affections, and 
the motive energy of our efforts are wasted 
away. Thus the powers requisite to resist 
these influences, or, being turned aside, to re- 
gain our course, are lost; and then, without 



Their Benefits. 177 

any availing resistance, we are borne away 
farther and farther from God and religion — 
from the course that would conduct us to 
heaven. The only remedy here is in a proper 
self-examination. Like mariners who navigate 
perilous seas, abounding in reef and shoal, in 
counter or cross currents and winds, and who 
must often take latitude and longitude, so must 
Christians often carefully examine their place 
and their course, while voyaging the perilous 
sea of Christian life. Otherwise, they will 
perish in the calm, or, driven by the storm, 
wreck amid the billows or drive upon the 
breaking rocks and perish forever. But fre- 
quent and close self-examination will enable us 
to avoid these dread consequences. We shall 
ascertain thereby what we are and where we 
are. Thus we shall escape the danger, and 
pursue the course of safety. 

Now, the class-room is an invaluable help to 
this examination. Its very design and the 
nature of its exercises all directly and effectu-. 
ally tend to this result. The purpose of meet- 
ing in the class is the ascertainment of the re- 
ligious state of the several members. The 
exercises are to be conducted in accordance 
with this design. Every member knows this. 

He repairs thither with his mind and heart 
12 



178 Class Meetings. 

directed to this point. He knows that he will 
be called upon to give expression to the state 
of his religious experience and progress. Will 
he not be led, then, by the circumstances of the 
case, to examine himself? Most surely he will. 
Besides, each one will be prompted to this by 
the statements of others, and will be enabled 
thereby the better to know and express his 
own. Many things we properly understand 
and appreciate only by comparison. Such is 
often the case in Christian experience. We 
understand our own religious state the better 
by a knowledge of that of others, with which 
we may compare it. And thus, by mingling 
in the intimate fellowships of the class-room, 
and expressing and comparing severally their 
religious experience and state, Christians are 
mutual helps to each other. Each one acquires 
that information of his own religious character 
and condition, which is of incalculable advan- 
tage to him. 

Many a Christian has realized all this from 
actual, happy experience. Through the cur- 
rency of the week, worldly cares and interests 
have, more or less, intruded upon his soul and 
engaged his thoughts and feelings. All this 
has its influence upon the religious state ; and 
did it continue without interruption, religious 



Their Benefits. 179 

enjoyment and fervor would soon be lost and 
the cause of Christ forsaken. True, the return 
of the holy Sabbath, with its quietness and 
sanctity, its public privileges of religion, and 
the hallowing influences which it tends to dif- 
fuse, comes in as a most opportune relief, as a 
most seasonable aid in turning again the soul 
to the Savior and to the things of religion. 
But nothing will serve so well as that which 
calls the soul directly home to itself. We have 
seen how efficiently this is done in the class- 
room — how our religious state and practice, 
experience and progress, are brought immedi- 
ately under our most scrutinizing view. And 
herein is a great benefit of class meetings. 

section m. 

PRESERVATION FROM DELINQUENCY: RECLA- 
MATION OF THE DELINQUENT. 

As a measure of preservation from delin- 
quencies, class meetings are very highly bene- 
ficial. However, as this point is somewhat 
embraced in both of the previous sections of 
this chapter, we need not much enlarge upon it 
here. 

All of us encounter enough of hinderance or 
adverse influence to turn us aside from follow- 
ing Christ, or to cause us greatly to decline in 



180 Class Meetings. 

religion. A liability to fault or delinquency 
pertains to our present state of trial; it enters 
into the weaknesses and evil tendencies of our 
nature, and into the trials and temptations that 
assail us ; it is implied in the earnest admoni- 
tions and exhortations to avoid such things. 
Alas ! this liability is too often and too sadly 
realized and exemplified in the experience and 
conduct of professing Christians. Too c^ften do 
these things befall members of the Church; not 
so much the mature, the well instructed and 
established, as the young and inexperienced, 
who have been more recently enlisted in the 
cause of Christ. 

Now, class meetings supply such helps, such 
seasonable instructions, such admonitions and 
encouragements, as may sufficiently strengthen 
the soul against these tendencies and influences 
to evil, or rescue it from them. Nor is the aid 
here afforded unnecessary ; nor does it come too 
soon. These adverse influences, unless resisted 
and restrained, constantly increase in number 
and force, while the soul, left to them, as con- 
stantly loses in the strength of its religious 
feelings and purposes and in its powers of re- 
sistance. And thus, without sufficient guards 
and supports, it is carried away into grievous 
faults or sad delinquencies. Such has been the 



Their Benefits. 181 

painful experience of many. The remedy here 
required is something that will awaken and 
keep awake our attention to the true state and 
great religious interests of our soul; something 
that will call into active and vigorous exercise 
all our powers of protection and support; 
something that will keep us in the constant, 
diligent use of all those means whereby w r e 
may be steadfast and immovable, always 
abounding in the work of the Lord. And 
what is better calculated to do all this than 
our class meetings? Here attention is called 
directly to these things; not once, but fre- 
quently ; not at far distant, but rapidly-recur- 
ring periods. Here religious feelings are 
strengthened, purposes and vow t s are renewed, 
watchfulness and prayer are encouraged, en- 
joyments revive, faith and hope increase, love 
abounds. Thus many proceed from one class 
meeting to another, as from strength to strength, 
in their way to Zion. And thus many hold on 
their journey to the end, who, left without these 
helps, w r ould weary and faint by the way. 
Many pursue a direct, uniform, and safe 
course, w r ho, void of the assistance supplied 
through this measure, would often diverge from 
the true course, and wander into forbidden 
paths, thereby greatly impeding their progress, 



182 Class Meetings. 

and fearfully periling their souls. As means, 
then, for the preservation of members, particu- 
larly the young and inexperienced, from delin- 
quencies in religion, class meetings are a great 
benefit. 

Again : many who have been overtaken in 
some fault, or who have fallen into delinquen- 
cies in religion, and are ready to perish, are 
graciously restored and saved through the insti- 
tution of class meetings. All Christians, as we 
have seen, are liable to declensions and faults, 
yea, to grievous delinquencies ; and many do, 
to a greater or less degree, fall into these things. 
This operates a most discouraging influence, 
especially upon the inexperienced, and such as 
are of a desponding cast of mind, of whom, 
indeed, there are many. Such have but little 
resource or restorative power in themselves. 
Indeed, many Christians continue in the ways 
of religion, only as they are supported and 
guided, encouraged and led on, by others. 
Once aside from the path, they never return, 
unless some friend in Christ takes them by the 
hand and leads them back again. If stum- 
bling to their fall, they never regain their upright 
position, unless assisted by others. And, in 
these times of declension or delinquency, such 
soon conclude that they have lost the confi- 



Their Benefits. 183 

dence and sympathy of the Church ; and this 
persuasion — call it mere prejudice or fancy if 
you will — is to many the greatest discourage- 
ment or hinderance. It is a barrier they can 
neither surmount nor remove. Its influence is 
deadly to their religious desires and purposes, 
and soon wastes all their fervor and motive 
force. It causes many to languish and decline, 
It tends strongly to consummate the declensions 
and delinquencies of many others. Surely, 
here are evils that demand a remedy — evils 
against which every Church ought, so far as 
she can, to provide. 

And, now, what better, what so good a rem- 
edy for these evils, what so well-adapted and 
efficient a provision as our class meetings? 
Here such are looked after. They are watched 
over and cared for. They have an interest in 
the Christian sympathies of the leader and of 
the several members of the class, w T hich, but 
for this institution, they would not and could 
not have. The declining and desponding, the 
wandering and delinquent member knows and 
feels this. It is made manifest to him in the 
pains they take to recover and restore him, in 
the earnest and importuning prayers they offer 
for him, in the faithful admonitions, and earn- 
est and encouraging exhortations they address 



184 Class Meetings. 

to him. Should he absent himself from class, 
then he is looked after ; inquiry is made into 
his discouragement or hinderance; the kind- 
ness and care of Christian affection and broth- 
erly love earnestly address themselves to the 
work of his reclamation. His condition is com- 
municated to the pastor, who joins in the effort 
to restore and save him; and many can record, 
from their own happy experience, the salutary 
results of such kind, Christian efforts ; and, but 
for the institution of class meetings, none of 
these efforts might have been put forth. But 
for this, his case might have been wholly un- 
known to the Church, till it was too late to 
reclaim and save him. In this view, then, 
class meetings are of incalculable benefit. 

SECTION IV. 

SUITABLE EXERCISE OF CHRISTIAN GRACES 

AND TALENTS. 

Another great benefit of class meetings is, 
that they call into an improving exercise and a 
profitable employment, more or less, the graces 
and talents of all the members, especially the 
leaders. Christian graces and talents must 
be exercised in order to proper growth, and 
strength, and usefulness. Can you find matu 
rity of piety or well-developed graces where 



Their Benefits. 185 

there is not suitable exercise? Can you find 
useful talents without such exercise? Surely 
not. Without this, graces are immature and 
feeble; talents are buried, and unproductive of 
good fruit. We know there might, in some 
instances, be suitable exercise without class 
meetings. Frequent, often daily, opportunities 
occur, when we might, with the mouth, make 
confession unto salvation ; when we might en- 
gage in religious conversation, and mutually 
exhort and encourage, strengthen and edify one 
another. But many things will tend to prevent 
this, particularly with the great body of Church 
members. "With many the business callings 
and the associations of life are very unfavor- 
able to it. Many have but little or no religious 
associations, either at home or in the business 
occupations of life. Many, therefore, either 
for the want of favorable opportunities or a 
proper experience, or because of timidity, will 
fail of that exercise which they must have in 
order to growth in grace and progress and use- 
fulness in religion. 'Nov can they have this 
exercise in the ordinary or more public services 
of religious worship. Here most are, by the 
circumstances, excluded. Active participation 
in these must be limited to comparatively a 
few. The graces and talents of the many 



186 Class Meetings. 

must, therefore, remain without that exercise 
and employment which are both improving 
and profitable. Thus they fail of great advan- 
tages to themselves and of great usefulness to 
others. Is it not, therefore, most advisable to 
have some special arrangement, some set time 
for this work? Should there not be regularly- 
appointed times when those that fear God may 
meet together and speak one to another? times 
when all may participate in the active exer- 
cises of the meeting? Thus all would dis- 
charge a common duty, and enjoy a common 
privilege ; and thereby the general spirituality 
of the Church would be promoted, the graces 
and talents of the members would be improved, 
and many would become active and useful mem- 
bers of the Church, who, otherwise, would re- 
main quite useless to it. 

* For all this our class meetings well provide. 
The humblest and the feeblest member has his 
place and his privilege with the most distin- 
guished and influential. He is here engaged 
in exercises which tend greatly to strengthen 
and improve him. The habit of speaking upon 
the subject of religion, of giving expression to 
his religious feelings and purposes, will increase 
his confidence and decision in the cause of 
Christ. Here is one of the most common and 



Their Benefits. 187 

familiar laws of our moral nature.. To speak 
of our faith is to secure its increase. To ex- 
press our Christian confidence is to add much 
to its strength. To declare our decision for 
Christ and his cause is more fully to determine 
and settle that decision. To speak of our com- 
forts and joys is to cause them to well up 
afresh and to flow" forth through all the soul. 
To give expression to our love to God and our 
brethren is to kindle its fires anew, and to cause 
them to glow with heavenly fervors. To pro- 
claim our living hope and heavenly prospect is 
to increase the light and the joy of the one 
and the brightness and the cheer of the other. 
Or are we timid, or feeble, or tempted, or in 
heaviness, or sorrowful, or discouraged, we 
almost achieve a redemption from all these by 
the declaration or confession of them. Now, 
we fully act upon this principle, we avail our- 
selves of the advantages of this common, po- 
tent law of our moral nature, in the exercises 
of the class. In this w T ay they are greatly 
profitable, and especially to those who most 
need these exercises. None can estimate the 
improvement of Christian graces secured in 
this way ; and by so much is there a clear 
gain of improvement, and happiness, and influ- 
ence to the members, and of usefulness and 



188 Class Meetings. 

prosperity of the Church. There is more than 
so much clear gain ; for, instead of being for 
all this the less profited or useful in all the vari- 
ous privileges and duties of religion, they are 
far more profited and useful. It is in this way, 
then, by having something to do for all the 
members, by engaging them in such exercises 
as greatly develop and mature their Christian 
graces, and greatly increase their influence and 
usefulness in the Church, that the institution of 
class meetings is very highly beneficial. 

The leaders especially are called to exercises 
of great spiritual profit to themselves and of 
great usefulness to the Church. A large class 
is thus formed of influential, spiritual men, who 
reap rich and precious fruits for themselves, 
and render invaluable service to the cause of 
religion. The duties to which they are called 
as leaders are peculiarly calculated to deepen 
and develop their own Christian experience. 
Having so much to do with the experience of 
others, it must aw^aken and maintain a lively 
interest in their own. While they are comfort- 
ing and strengthening, exhorting and urging 
others on to diligence and duty, to devotion and 
progress, they are constantly rendering the 
same services to themselves. Many such have 
waxed strong in the Lord, have become well 



Their Benefits. 189 

versed in the deep things of Christian experi- 
ence, have acquired vast information of all the 
ways of experimental and practical religion, 
and have wielded a far-reaching and useful 
influence in the Church of God. These things 
are read and known of all who are familiar 
with the economy and operations of our Church. 
Now, who can estimate the gain to the Church, 
the increase of her moral force, the augmenta- 
tion of her means and influences for usefulness, 
from this source alone ? In our revivals of re- 
ligion, these are men of faith and prayer, of 
active and successful efforts. Through them 
there is direct, personal access to the members 
of their several classes. Each leader is con- 
cerned that all the members of his own class 
should share in the gracious work of revival. 
For this end he earnestly labors ; and his posi- 
tion in relation to them gives him an influence 
that otherwise he could not at all command. 
Thus many forces and influences are put into 
efficient operation for good. These are men, 
too, of great usefulness in seeking out and 
bringing to the altar such as the Spirit has 
awakened. And here they are strong in faith 
and prayer in their behalf. They are well 
prepared to instruct them in the way of peni- 
tence and faith — well prepared to sruide them 



190 Class Meetings. 

to the Savior. In a word, it seems plain to us 
that our great superiority, as a Church, in con- 
ducting revivals of religion, is derived mainly 
from our class meetings. 

SECTION V. 

RELATIONS OF CLASS MEETINGS TO PASTORAL 
AND DISCIPLINARY OFFICES. 

Class meetings are efficiently subsidiary to 
the due performance of pastoral duties. We 
have no room here to enlarge upon the duties 
of this sacred office. It is agreed, however, 
that they are many and of the highest obliga- 
tion and importance. Here is the duty of spe- 
cial, constant oversight and watch-care over the 
entire membership. The poorest and the most 
obscure are to be cared for, as well as the more 
favored and prominent members of society. 
And this watch-care must be maintained in 
order to the right performance of various other 
duties. Instances of destitution and want will 
often occur ; these must be ascertained and re- 
lieved. Instances of sickness or family affliction 
will often occur; such must be cared for and 
visited, and all possible comfort and relief ren- 
dered. There will often be cases of sore tempt- 
ation and trial, of discouragement and delin- 
quency ; such, too, must be visited in the spirit 



Their Benefits. 191 

of Christian kindness, and so instructed and 
encouraged as to recover them from their hin- 
derances, and set them anew upon the way to 
Zion. 

Now, what are the resources of a pastor, 
when left to himself for the due rendering of 
all these services ? Suppose his pastoral charge 
consists of a numerous membership, as is often 
the case. Suppose, further, that they are scat- 
tered abroad through the population of a large 
city, or over a considerable territory of coun- 
try, which also often occurs. How, then, can 
he maintain such information of their various 
conditions and wants, as to be at all prepared 
rightly to discharge these duties? Circumstan- 
ces may be supposed, where a pastor might 
sufficiently know his members so as properly to 
perform his duties toward them. If they are 
few in number, and of a uniform, settled class 
of society, and brought close together as a dis- 
tinct, separate community, he might sufficiently 
know them. But such instances rarely occur. 
The condition of pastoral charges is more gen- 
erally as above indicated. Is it not plain, 
therefore, that some provision should be made 
for the relief of these disabilities of the pastor? 
Surely it is. And in many instances some such 
provision is made. 



192 Class Meetings. 

Now, the provision made in our Church is 
in the institution of class meetings. As we 
have before seen, they are a measure of pas- 
toral oversight, so that the wants of the mem- 
bers may be known, and pastoral offices faith- 
fully discharged. And we may here again 
particularly note their peculiar and efficient 
adaptation to all these ends. As a measure of 
pastoral oversight, we know of nothing in any 
other Church at all to compare with it. If the 
spiritual wants, and even the temporal necessi- 
ties, of our members are not known, it is be- 
cause they will not have them known. And 
this provision is not only efficient to ascertain, 
but equally efficient for the relief of the wants 
of our members. Herein is a great benefit of 
class meetings. 

Again : they are of great benefit as an aux- 
iliary to the proper administration of disci- 
pline. No person has a right to Church mem- 
bership who is not a Christian, or earnestly 
seeking so to be. It is, hence, made the duty 
of every Church to reject or to separate from 
her communion all who are not of such char- 
acter. If any apply for membership, who are 
not religious, nor seeking earnestly to be, they 
should be refused. Or if any insinuate them- 
selves into the Church who are not striving to 



Their Benefits. 193 

work out their soul's salvation ; or if, after their 
union with her, they become immoral or indif- 
ferent, they must be separated from her fellow- 
ship. Even the branch that bears no fruit, 
must be taken away. And the tree that bears 
no fruit, as well as the tree that bears corrupt 
fruit, must be cut down. Neither must remain 
to the detriment or scandal of the Church. 

How, now, is all this work to be done ? Can 
it be well done without some special provision 
for the immediate oversight of the members? 
As a general thing it can not be expected that 
the pastor can have such immediate and con- 
stant oversight of his charge as will enable him 
to acquire and maintain all the information of 
the state and deportment of the members sev- 
erally, as will be requisite for the proper ad- 
ministration of discipline in the reproof, the 
admonition, and correction of the disorderly, 
and in the suspension or exclusion of more 
heinous offenders. He is of himself incompe- 
tent to all this by the same disabilities that 
render him incompetent to all the duties of the 
pastoral office. Here, too, in some instances, 
he might sufficiently know all his members. 
If his charge consisted of a few, and if these 
were so situated as to bring him into easy asso- 
ciation with them, he might generally know 
13 



194 Class Meetings. 

them; but such instances are very rare, par- 
ticularly in our own Church. The delinquen- 
cies of some might be known, but those of 
many others might be wholly unknown. Cases 
of gross immorality might come to the knowl- 
edge of the Church ; but of many cases of se- 
rious declensions or delinquencies, or of entire 
indifference or unfruitfulness, she could know 
nothing. And such members would often long 
remain to her reproach or injury, contrary to 
the will of her divine Founder. Does it not 
seem necessary, then, that every Church should 
have some special disciplinary measure — some 
provision whereby cases of delinquency might 
be promptly ascertained, and discipline duly 
administered ? 

Such a provision we have in the institution 
of class meetings. This is a chief purpose for 
which they exist, and one which they well 
serve. They answered this purpose well, even 
from the beginning, when they existed as a 
mere financial arrangement. Here is a meas- 
ure whereby all the members may be brought 
under the immediate inspection of the Church. 
The lives of all are, or may easily be known. 
Information may easily be furnished, through 
the leader, to the Church, or to her proper au- 
thorities, of all such cases as require the exer- 



Their Benefits. 195 

cise of her discipline. Such a measure must 
be a great benefit to a Church. It eminently 
provides for the maintenance of good govern- 
ment. And here again we must say that, in 
this particular, we know not any other Church 
so well furnished as our own. 

SECTION VI. 

RELATIONS OF CLASS MEETINGS TO METH- 
ODISM. 

The most important of these is their relation 
to our system of itinerancy. Indeed, that sys- 
tem renders these an indispensable part of our 
Church economy. We see not how the one 
can be successfully and usefully maintained 
without the other. The system of itinerancy, 
it is true, might continue; for, as to the sim- 
ple question of its existence, it has no neces- 
sary dependence upon class meetings; but 
what we mean is, without them it would lose 
its adaptation and success, its efficiency and 
usefulness. But a partial view of the subject 
may be sufficient to satisfy any one of this. 
We have already glanced at the difficulties 
lying in the way of the proper performance of 
pastoral and disciplinary duties in the ordinary 
state of things, even with a settled pastorate. 
But all these disabilities are very greatly in- 



196 Class Meetings. 

creased by our plan of frequent exchanges 
from one pastoral charge to another. Consider, 
now, the position of one of our ministers, in 
view of these exchanges, and the character of 
our charges. He is placed, for instance, upon 
a circuit. The territory embraced in it is new 
to him. The community is strange. The mem- 
bers of the Church are strangers. He knows 
not where they live, nor how they live, nor 
what they require, whether of pastoral service 
or disciplinary appliance. Each society he 
visits consists of strangers. The time for his 
stay at any one place must generally be short. 
He rarely can visit the members at their homes 
oftener than once in three or six months. Now, 
how is he to know their spiritual state, or their 
manner of life, without our class meetings? 
"With them he has two great advantages ; for, 
in the first place, he may meet them in class 
himself, and converse with them directly upon 
these subjects. In the next place, he has free 
access to the leader, or leaders, who are charged 
with the constant oversight of them, and whose 
business it is to report their state and deport- 
ment, their condition and wants, to him, as rep- 
resenting and acting for the Church. Now, 
these are great advantages. And the pastor 
thus readily acquires the information that is 



Their Benefits. 197 

indispensable to the right performance of his 
duties. But he passes on to the next ajypoint- 
ment, not to return again till two or four weeks. 
And must there not be some provision of over- 
sight during his absence ? Must there not be 
some one or more whose official duty it shall 
be to visit the sick, admonish the disorderly, 
encourage the desponding, reclaim the wander- 
ing, and urge all on to diligence and devotion ? 
Surely there must. The good of every society 
requires it. And without a special appoint- 
ment of some to these duties they w x ill be 
greatly neglected. Since, therefore, some pro- 
vision must be made for the oversight and 
service of the Church or society, during the ab- 
sence of the pastor, what better could be made 
than that furnished in our class meetings? 
What better arrangement than such a division 
into classes and the appointment of suitable 
leaders to the care of them? We are fully 
persuaded that no Church has furnished a bet- 
ter. ISTor can we imagine how a better could 
be devised. 

In many of our stations, particularly those in 
the larger towns and cities, there is quite an 
equal necessity for some such provision. In- 
deed, for some reasons, there is a greater ne 
cessity. Introduce a pastor into such a town 



198 Class Meetings. 

or city where all are strangers, and where his 
pastoral charge is somewhat numerous, and it 
will take him a year to make their acquaint- 
ance, if, indeed, he can do it in that time. And 
all this while many important pastoral duties 
must be omitted ; many disciplinary appliances 
must be neglected, because he knows not, and 
can not know, the instances that require them. 
But with our arrangement of classes, he may 
know directly the wants of the society concern- 
ing all these matters. The position of the 
leaders enables them easily to acquire such 
information. And it is made their duty to ac- 
quire and communicate it to the pastor. Even 
these brief remarks may forcibly suggest the 
great importance and usefulness of class meet- 
ings to Methodism. 

Revivals of religion — extensive revivals — 
are as much a part of Methodism as itinerancy, 
though not in the same mode. On this ac- 
count class meetings are of great benefit be- 
cause of their relation to Methodism. They 
are, with us, indispensable to the proper care 
and training of the fruits of these revivals. 
Frequently one, two, or three hundred, or even 
more, are gathered into the Church in a brief 
space of time. And these numbers consist of 
the young and inexperienced; of those who 



Their Benefits. 199 

have lived in great ignorance of religion, and 
whose lives have been formed to habits of 
wickedness. Now, how can a pastor take 
23roper care of all these, and train them in the 
experience and practice of religion? How can 
he do this, if they are scattered abroad through 
a large city, where he might not be able to see 
and converse with all of them in six months ? 
Or, how can he do it upon a circuit where they 
may be spread over a considerable territory, 
and where he must be more or less absent from 
many of them? The reader will answer that 
here is more than he can do ; that there must 
be some provision that will bring to him effi- 
cient aid. Now, just such is the provision 
of our class meetings. They bring not only 
all the leaders, but, in a great measure, all the 
Church to his aid ; for those thus gathered in 
are distributed into the classes, where they en- 
joy the watch-care and instruction of the lead- 
ers, and where they are also taught and guided 
by the experience and godly life of the mem- 
bers generally. Here are benefits of class 
meetings that we can not overestimate. 



200 Class Meetings. 



CHAPTER VII. 

THE MODE OF CONDUCTING CLASS MEET 
INGS. 

SECTION I. 

MODE OF CONDUCTING THEM IN VIEW OF THEIR 

DESIGN. 

The greatest facilities for business — the very 
best instrumentalities for the prosecution of our 
various callings— are only so far useful as we, 
in some suitable mode, avail ourselves of them. 
The best institutions and rules of social or civil 
life avail nothing or yield no profit, except so 
far as they are properly applied or duly con- 
formed to. So the institutions of the Church — • 
those which her divine Founder has ordained, 
and those which she has herself appointed in 
harmony with the great principles of religion — 
must be properly conducted and improved in 
order to the great benefits which they are cal- 
culated to afford. It is in this view that we 
deem the mode of conducting class meetings a 
subject of great importance. They must be 
conducted in a manner consonant to their char- 
acter and design, or they will fail to accom- 
plish the great and good results for which they 



Mode of Conducting. 201 

are so well calculated. And were they con- 
ducted differently from what they are, in many 
instances, and more in accordance with their 
true spirit and intent, they would be abund- 
antly more productive of good. 

In what mode should class meetings be con- 
ducted ? In considering this question we must 
again recur to their design. This, it will be 
remembered, is the ascertainment of the Chris- 
tian character of the members, with a view to 
various pastoral and disciplinary duties, which 
have before been sufficiently explained. Such 
being their design, the proper mode of proced- 
ure in leading them is at once suggested. It 
should be such as will enable the leader readily 
to acquire the requisite information as to the 
religious state and deportment of the several 
members. This he is to do in two ways, or by 
direct, special inquiry upon two points. These 
are clearly set forth in the duties and directions 
of leaders, as laid down in the Discipline. The 
leader must see the members of his class once 
a week, "to inquire how their souls prosper." 
Again: "let each leader carefully inquire how 
every soul of his class prospers ; not only how 
each person observes the outward rules, but 
how he grows in the knowledge and love of 
God." These passages, both in themselves, 



202 Class Meetings. 

and from their connection, plainly show that 
the leader must make special, direct inquiry 
upon these two points — the state of religious 
experience and progress, and the external de- 
portment; the internal and external Christian 
life. 

As to the first of these, is there not in the 
present mode of leading class a great want of 
specificness, of directness and point? It is but 
a small thing to ask for the religious state of 
the member in general terms, without any 
specification or detail whatever. This general 
mode might suffice for mature, well-instructed, 
well-established Christians; but it is not at 
all suited to the religious state and wants of 
the body of Church members. For the many, 
questions should be diversified ; interrogations 
should be made upon the various points of 
Christian experience. To illustrate, the leader 
should often inquire of them in some such 
manner as this : What is the measure of your 
faith? does it rest in God, through Christ, 
giving you victory over sin and the world? 
"What is your love to God and his children? 
does it reach, or is it approximating the meas- 
ure of the divine command? What is your 
communion with God? is it intimate and unin- 
terrupted ? What is your assurance of present 



Mode of Conducting. 203 

acceptance with God? have you the joint wit- 
ness of the Spirit of God. and of your own 
spirit, that you are his child ? What is your 
power in resisting temptation? What is the 
measure of your religious enjoyment? What 
are your tempers ? What is your earnestness, 
what your efforts for continued growth in grace ? 
What is your zeal for the salvation of souls, for 
the prosperity of the Church, and the promo- 
tion of the glory of God ? These, and various 
other points of Christian experience and char- 
acter, must be made the subject of direct, 
special inquiry. Without this, or so far as it 
is neglected, class meetings will fail of their 
design, and of the great good w^hich they are 
so eminently calculated to accomplish. 

We would not urge, nor intimate, that such 
course should be taken at every meeting of the 
class, or often with the mature and established 
members. Yet this mode should often be pur- 
sued with the younger, or less experienced. 
But are classes thus led? Doubtless in some 
instances they are; yet we fear that in many, 
very many, cases they are not. This is greatly 
to the detriment of the cause of religion anions: 
us. Upon this subject we should wake up and 
take heed to our ways. It is only by leading 
in the mode that we have indicated, that the 



204 Class Meetings. 

religions state of the members can, in many 
instances, be ascertained. And where this is 
not known, the leader is nnprepared to render 
proper service, or instruction, and, conse- 
quently, the member must often fail of that as- 
sistance which he needs, and which he has a 
right to expect. Nor can the members feel 
that mutual interest, or be of that service which 
they ought to render to each other, without 
this particular information of each other's re- 
ligious state. "Were classes more generally 
conducted in this mode, leaders would be vastly 
more useful to themselves, and to the members 
committed to their care. There w r ould be more 
spirituality, more growth in grace, more stabil- 
ity, more maturity of Christian character in 
the class. I think you will find all this corrob- 
orated, if you will read the biographies of those 
men who have been so eminently useful in this 
calling ; or if you will observe the more useful 
leaders at the present time. The principle has 
thus often been exemplified, and the trial will 
ever prove its usefulness. 

In the next place, the leader must make spe- 
cial inquiry into the deportment, or the relig- 
ious habits of the several members of his class. 
This is plainly one of the duties of the leader, 
and one object of the institution of class meet- 



Mode of Conducting. 205 

ings. Various rules of Christian duty are spec- 
ified, according to which the members are re- 
quired and expected to walk. And it is made 
the duty of the leader to ascertain, by proper 
inquiry, whether they so walk or not. Hence 
he must carefully inquire, "how each person 
observes the outward rules " — the general rules 
of our Church. 

Here, too, there should be specification and 
directness. And it is to be feared that there is 
greater failure here than on the other point 
already considered. He who would be a faith- 
ful and useful leader, must look to something 
further than a general question and answer 
as to the religious state and character of the 
several members in his class. The Church 
seeks and expects, through her classes, infor- 
mation as to their manner of life. "It is, 
therefore, expected of all who continue in" 
these societies, "that they should continue to 
evidence their desire of salvation" by conform- 
ity to the general rules. This obedience to 
these general rules, as a summary of Christian 
duty, is deemed a necessary qualification for 
continuance with us in Church fellowship. It 
is to be in evidence of Christian character. 
And it is made the duty of the leader to ascer- 
tain whether those under his care render this 



206 Class Meetings. 

obedience; whether they furnish this evidence 
or not. Hence he must obtain the requisite 
information, not by general inquiries after their 
religious state, but by specific inquiries into 
their religious habits, in view particularly of 
the various duties contained in the general 
rules. Here is a wide range, but one well 
filled up. 

In the first place, the leader must seek to 
know whether the members under his care give 
evidence of true Christian character by doing 
no harm, by avoiding evil of every kind. The 
evils classed under this first head are numerous 
and common. Alas! that some of them, at 
least, should be so common, even in the Church. 
And doubtless they are only the more so for a 
want of that thorough, direct dealing that 
should characterize the exercises of the class. 
With this, members would either reform or 
retire from us. 

In the next place, he must ascertain whether 
they give evidence of true Christian character 
by doing good, by being in every kind merciful, 
after their power, as they have opportunity, of 
every possible sort, and, as far as possible, to 
all men. Here many plain, active duties are 
set forth, which are indispensable to proper re- 
ligious character; and the leader must know, 



Mode of Conducting. 207 

so far as lie can, whether these duties are per- 
formed. Here, again, there must be something 
more than mere general inquiry into the re- 
ligious life of the several members. 

Lastly, the desire of salvation is to be evi- 
denced by attending upon all the ordinances 
of God, such as public worship, the supper of 
the Lord, family and private prayer, etc. The 
leader must know whether the members of his 
class do attend to these duties or not. In order 
to this, there must be direct, detailed inquiry. 

ISTow, such being the design of class meet- 
ings, and such the duties of the leader in pur- 
suance of that design, the proper mode of con- 
ducting classes is very clearly indicated. Most 
plainly it should mainly be a free, familiar, cat- 
echetic, conversational mode. Such was the 
mode observed in their earlier history. Such, 
it seems to us, is the mode contemplated in the 
Discipline ; and it is only in such a way that 
the great objects of the institution can be suc- 
cessfully accomplished. The present formal, 
routine manner — rather a speech-making than 
a conversational one — should, in most instances, 
give place to a simple, free conversation with 
the several members — a conversation turning 
directly upon the various points of Christian 
experience and practice. Thus, and thus only, 



208 Class Meetings. 

will the leader become familiar with the relig- 
ious condition of his members, and be duly 
prepared to render them that counsel and en- 
couragement which shall be suited to their sev- 
eral states. 

section n. 

MODE OF CONDUCTING THEM IN ORDER TO 
THE GREATEST GOOD. 

Great advantages would be derived from 
conducting classes in the manner considered in 
the previous section. The classes thus met, 
the exercises thus conducted, would be more 
thorough, and better accomplish the objects for 
which they were instituted. It is possible to 
lead class, in the general, formal mode now so 
much practiced, even for months, without 
knowing whether the members are really in 
the enjoyment of religion or not; whether or 
not they have the assurance of their acceptance 
with God ; whether or not they are faithful in 
performing the duties of religion, and in im- 
proving the means of grace. Such instances 
have occurred. This could not well be if the 
mode we have attempted to set forth — that fur- 
nished, indeed, in our Discipline — were fol- 
lowed. Besides, the direct, spiritual, and prac- 
tical influence upon the members would be 



Mode of Conducting. 209 

greatly increased. Their minds, so frequently 
and so directly called to the subject of experi- 
mental and practical religion, would be more 
constantly and deeply impressed with its im- 
portance. 

Why is it, let me ask my brethren in the 
ministry, that we address our members and 
receive their replies so differently in our pas- 
toral visitations from what we do in class ? and 
which, upon reflection or comparison, do we 
decide to be the better? By which do we* 1 
bring the subject of religion more directly and 
practically home to them? By which do we 
more readily ascertain their Christian state and 
life? Surely, by the more simple, direct, con- 
versational mode pursued in pastoral visitation. 
We find thus a more ready and free access to 
their state in grace and to their religious habits, 
and more effectually interest them upon the 
subject. And whom do we meet, of all the 
members we visit, that we can not, in this 
mode, engage in conversation and in communi- 
cating to us their religious state? And thus 
we think it would be if members were more 
generally addressed in class according to the 
true intent and character of the institution. 
Might we not, in this way, very much improve? 

Various inconveniences of a serious char- 
14 



210 Class Meetings. 

acter would be obviated if the mode which we 
have indicated were more generally observed 
in conducting the exercises of the class ; and 
great advantages would hereby be secured. 

In the first place, it would not be so difficult 
to provide suitable leaders. This all our min- 
isters, having pastoral charge, know to be diffi- 
cult. And no wonder ! The present mode of 
leading class profitably requires no ordinary 
talents. It demands very considerable inform- 
ation, and much readiness and versatility of 
address. It is easier to discourse on a general 
subject for an hour than to respond, in the 
present mode, appropriately and with sufficient 
variety to twelve or fifteen members ; and the 
response is only the more difficult where all 
the members are much in the same state, or, 
what is more usual, speak much in the same 
way. Few men are competent to lead class in 
this way with due profit or sufficient interest ; 
and the disability is greatly increased by the 
inappropriate and uncalled-for mode of reply- 
in g alike to all the members, and often with 
the most interest and earnestness to those in 
the best and happiest religious state, thus over- 
looking the most excellent direction of the 
Discipline, "to advise, reprove, comfort, or 
exhort, as occasion may require" Beside, with 



Mode of Conducting. 211 

the present manner of leading class, it is a pre- 
requisite in a leader that he be a good, spirit 
moving singer. He 'must add this rare qualifi- 
cation to the other extraordinary abilities requi- 
site for his work. If Mr. Wesley intended 
classes to be met in the present mode, he cer- 
tainly erred in supposing that one member in 
every twelve would be suitable for a leader. 
But if the present mode were changed, and 
classes were met in a manner according with 
their true intent and character, this difficulty 
would be mainly, if not wholly, obviated. 
Many now considered incompetent would be 
found most fully qualified for this high trust. 

One of the greatest embarrassments to at- 
tending class, especially with the diffident and 
inexperienced, is the present formal mode of 
speaking. Many such find it a great, almost 
an insupportable cross. Many, for this reason, 
absent themselves, if not wholly, yet frequently. 
But could this embarrassment exist and operate 
so discouragingly, if the more appropriate, cat- 
echetic form, the more simple, conversational 
manner were pursued? Surely not. Who is 
there, however timid or unaccustomed to formal 
speaking, that could not or would not respond 
to the questions thus addressed, or engage, 
with but little or no embarrassment, in a famil- 



212 Class Meetings. 

iar, free conversation upon Iris religious life? 
And here we think there would be great gain, 
as the classes would be more fully attended, 
and the exercises far more profitable to the 
members. 

Classes met in this way would be interesting 
though but few were present. A few would 
engage in the exercises with as much interest as 
many. Hence, there would be no necessity or 
occasion for the large classes which we now 
have, often two or three, and, in some instances, 
four times the number originally proposed. 
This is a great evil ; and yet, with the present 
mode of conducting classes, it seems a neces- 
sary one. We can not reduce the number 
much for the want of suitable leaders. Nor 
could the attendance of enough be secured to 
render the exercises sufficiently interesting. 
Now, the absence of so many operates a great 
discouragement to the leader and to those in 
attendance. Beside, the labors of the leader 
are vastly increased. How can he attend to 
the spiritual interests of so many? Especially 
how can he do this when so many are absent 
from time to time? There is scarcely one in 
ten whose leisure or circumstances will allow 
him rightly and duly to perform this work. 
But let classes be met according to the Disci- 



Mode of Conducting. 213 

pline, and these evils may be mainly obviated. 
There will be no necessity for such large classes 
in order to provide a sufficient number of lead- 
ers or to secure a sufficient attendance to make 
the exercises interesting. On the one hand, 
there would be a much greater number suitable 
for leaders, and on the other a more general 
attendance would be secured ; and thus the dis- 
couragements from the many instances of ab- 
sence, as well as the loss to those who are ab- 
sent, would, in a great measure, be avoided. 
The tedium of long classes, which is a great 
evil, would also be avoided; and the leader, 
having but few members, and these generally 
present, could perform more fully and profit- 
ably his duty to them in overlooking their spir- 
itual interests. 



214 Class Meetings. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

THE DUTIES OF LEADEKS AND MEMBERS. 

SECTION I. 
DUTIES OF LEADERS. 

Our limits will allow only a few words upon 
the subjects of this chapter. Nor is there any 
occasion for a lengthy discussion ; for the main 
subject, as we have aimed to present it, makes 
the duties of both leaders and members of 
classes sufficiently plain. 

In the first place, it is the duty of the leader 
carefully to inquire into the religious state and 
life of the several members of his class. This 
duty is specially enjoined in the Discipline. 
And every leader should feel that this is a 
great and important work. Nor should any 
one think his duty performed when he has pro- 
pounded a general question and received a gen- 
eral answer as to their religious character. His 
first duty is to know what is their state in grace, 
and what their manner of life. Nor is he at 
all prepared to render the various duties that 
he owes to them, unless he first acquires this 
knowledge. He must know whether they now 



Duties of Leaders. 215 

have satisfactory evidence of acceptance with 
God, and are growing in grace; whether they 
avoid the evil and practice the good ; whether 
they attend upon the ordinances of God, such 
as the public worship of God, the supper of the 
Lord, and family and private prayer. 

Next, it is the duty of the leader "to advise, 
reprove, comfort, or exhort, as occasion may 
require." Ascertaining, from time to time, by 
careful inquiry, the religious state and life of 
the members, the leader is prepared to render 
this important service. And it is one he must 
not fail to render. Otherwise, he will fail of 
an important duty involved in his sacred trust. 
And this service must be rendered as occasion 
may require. It must be varied according to 
the diversified states of the several members. 

There are many and diversified cases upon 
which advice must be given. Members will 
often need advice in view of the difficulties 
and trials that they encounter in the journey 
of Christian life. They will need advice as to 
how they must improve the means within their 
power, in order to growth in grace ; also, as to 
how they shall proceed, in order to overcome 
the difficulties and obstructions that lie in their 
way, and make good progress in their journey 
to the land of promise. This advice must not 



216 Class Meetings. 

be wanting; the leader must ever be ready 
and prompt to give it. 

He must also administer reproof. And here 
he must not falter in duty, though its perform- 
ance be arduous. Members often need reproof. 
And they will bear it, and profit by it when 
given in the spirit of Christ. They must bear 
it if they expect to remain with us, or to profit 
by our fellowship. Then, when they are found 
to be disorderly in temper, or deportment, let 
reproof be given ; but let it be given in meek- 
ness and love. Let the leader reprove, not as 
a master, but as a father or brother in Christ. 
"Reproofs of instruction are the way of life." 

The leader must comfort his members. Dis- 
comforts are numerous. The sources of trial 
and affliction are many, and Christians are 
often mourners. Such must be comforted. The 
bowed-down must be raised up; the spirit, 
drooping under affliction, must be refreshed; 
the wounded and crushed heart must be healed ; 
the oil of consolation must be poured into the 
bosom of the sorrowing; the light and life of 
hope must be made to shine and glow in the 
heart of heaviness. What a work for a leader! 
And how he should rejoice that he may be the 
minister of comfort to many ! 

He must also administer the word of exhort- 



Duties of Leaders. 217 

ation to his members. " Exhort one another 
daily," is the duty enjoined upon all Christians. 
So the leader must "exhort with all long-suffer- 
ing." "With many Christians there are times 
of discouragement — of halting and declension. 
When they thus halt or decline, or when they 
become negligent of duty, or the means of 
grace, then they must be exhorted ; earnestly 
urged on to perseverance, to renewed diligence 
in duty, and in the use of the means of grace. 
Now, all this must be done as occasion may 
require. It was doubtless the intention that 
these words should be observed as the rule of 
procedure in the performance of these duties. 
"We must, therefore, recur to, and even urge, 
the unsuitableness of our present general and 
uniform mode of response to all the members, 
without due regard to their various religious 
states and conditions. And yet this can not 
be otherwise while the present mode of leading 
class is pursued. We can not advise, reprove, 
comfort, or exhort, as occasion may require, 
till our inquiries are so directed as to ascertain 
what is the religious character and condition 
of the several members. One impropriety here 
results from another. And the second can not 
be avoided till we avoid the first. When this 
is done — when our questions to the members 



218 Class Meetings. 

are so particular and direct as to elicit due in- 
formation of their Christian character and state, 
we shall no longer respond to them as we do 
now — much in the same way to all. Then we 
shall speak as occasion may require. 

The leader should visit the sick of his class. 
This, if not specially enjoined as a duty in the 
Discipline, is, nevertheless, therein implied as 
such. And it is a duty of special importance. 
Its obligation or importance may not be lightly 
esteemed. If it is neglected, it will often be 
to the great injury of the member, and also to 
the influence of the leader in his class. He 
stands much in the relationship of a pastor to 
it. His acquaintance and association with his 
members are often more intimate than the pas- 
tor's are, or can be. He is with them from 
year to year. And their number being com- 
paratively small, he becomes intimately ac- 
quainted and associated with them. It is very 
different with the pastor among us, changed, 
as he is, every one or two years, from one pas- 
toral charge to another, and placed over large 
societies, consisting of many classes. It is not, 
therefore, to be wondered at, that members 
should, in many instances, look first to their 
leader for visitation or attention in times of sick- 
ness, whether of themselves or their families. 



Duties of Leaders. 219 

Attentions at such, times, rendered in the spirit 
of religion, are grateful indeed, and of most 
benign influence. But neglect operates with 
equally ungrateful and adverse influence. Let a 
member be detained from class or from Church, 
for some time, by personal or family affliction, 
and be neglected by the leader, that neglect 
will be a great discouragement. And the dis- 
couragement w T ill only be the greater as the 
member may be inexperienced or unestablished 
in religion, or of the poorer class in the Church. 
Then let the leader faithfully render this im- 
portant service to the members of his class. 

Another duty of the leader is to look after 
those who absent themselves from class, or who 
are delinquent or disorderly. This work must 
be done. And it should, by all means, be 
done promptly. Most incurable cases become 
such by a delay of the proper efforts to restore 
them. Few there are who are delinquent or 
disorderly, that could not be restored if looked 
after with due promptness. These wanderings 
or declinings in religion, are like a descension 
hurried on by the momentum acquired, and by 
a constantly-increasing declivity. We must, 
therefore, attempt to arrest them in the start- 
ing, or the opportunity may be passed forever; 
or we must attempt to remedy them as we 



220 Class Meetings. 

would a malignant disease in its incipient 
stage. Tims we may succeed. But let this 
opportunity pass, and the case, but too often, 
will be without remedy. 

Nor should the leader omit, or think lightly 
of another duty enjoined upon him; that is, 
" to inform the minister of any that walk dis- 
orderly, and will not be reproved. 55 He must 
visit such as walk disorderly himself and ad- 
minister reproof. But, then, if they are not 
cured of their disorderly conduct, he must re- 
port them. Otherwise discipline can not, with 
us, be properly administered. The constitution 
of our Church is such as to render this imprac- 
ticable. As a chief executive needs the faith- 
ful co-operation of the subordinate officers, so 
do our ministers, having the pastoral charge, 
need the faithful co-operation of the leaders. 
And inasmuch as a judicious and faithful ad- 
ministration of discipline is important to the 
purity, and moral influence, and growth of a 
Church, by so much is this duty of the leader 
important. 

It must further be obvious, that the religious 
character — the internal and external Christian 
life of the members — will depend much upon 
the character of the leader, and the manner in 
which he performs his several duties to his 



Duties of Members. 221 

class. As he is, so will they be. The truth of 
this, as a general principle, will be affirmed by 
the results of the most careful observation. 
Let, then, every leader have an earnest persua- 
sion of the profound responsibilities of his high 
trust. And let him seek, by all possible dili- 
gence, that grace and wisdom whereby he may 
so perform his duties as to be a blessing to him- 
self, and to the Church. 

section n. 

THE DUTIES OF MEMBERS OF CLASSES. 

These duties are correlative to the duties of 
the leader. I need not, therefore, enlarge upon 
them, as they may be understood from what 
has already been said. 

As the institution exists among us, and one 
is placed in charge of the other members, that 
it may be discerned whether they are working 
out their salvation or not, it is their duty to 
give him information of their religious state. 
He must, in order to such information, inquire 
into their Christian graces and habits; then 
they must respond to his inquiries. And all 
this must be done, not in the spirit of the con- 
fessional — a spirit of laic oppression and of 
priestly arrogance, but in the spirit of brotherly 
equality and love. 



222 Class Meetings. 

The leader must advise, reprove, exhort, or 
comfort, as occasion may require, then his 
members should be ready to receive and im- 
prove his instructions. Let them receive his 
words of advice and reproof, and profit thereby. 
Let them receive his words of exhortation, and 
be urged and encouraged on in their Christian 
career. Let them receive his words of comfort, 
and be supported and cheered while on their 
journey home. 

It is the duty of the leader to see each mem- 
ber in his class, at least once a week, to inquire 
into their religious state. Surely, then, it is the 
duty of the members to attend their class at the 
regular time and place of meeting. Without 
this attendance the institution must utterly fail. 
It could not be required or expected of the 
leader that he should go round, every week, 
from house to house, to see the various mem- 
bers of his class. Our leaders are generally 
men of labor, or business — men who must have 
business in order to an honest and comfortable 
living. If they can visit such as are sick, such 
as absent themselves, or such as are delinquent 
or disorderly, it is all that can ordinarily be 
required. True, it is desirable that they should, 
so far as they can, visit their classes generally. 
Such a course would have a most salutary 



Duties of Members. 223 

influence. But the class-room is the place spe- 
cially where they should see their members. 
And there the members should be in as regular 
attendance as may be. There will be hinder- 
ances, of course — hinderances of business, of 
sickness, and such like; yet every member 
should make it a part of his plan — an item in 
his arrangements, to attend his class. No 
small inconvenience should hinder him. Uni- 
formity of attendance will be a great blessing 
to each individual member, and to the whole 
class. On the other hand, the influence of fre- 
quent absences, without sufficient reason, will 
be most discouraging and detrimental. Such 
will be the influence upon the member absent- 
ing himself, and upon the class generally. One 
neglect will lead to another, and the member 
absenting himself will, for every absence, find 
increased embarrassment and hinderance to 
attendance. Then let our members, as they are 
required, and have pledged themselves to do, 
faithfully attend their classes. 

It seems strange to us that so many should 
suffer themselves to be so easily hindered from 
attendance. Having united themselves to a 
Church in which this institution forms so prom- 
inent a part, surely they should not trespass 
upon its order by neglecting this duty. I 



224: Class Meetings. 

repeat it, they pledge themselves not to neglect 
it. They do this by the act of joining the 
Church. In so doing they know that this is a 
rule of the Church, and that they will be re- 
quired and expected to conform to it; that 
without this expectation they could not be re- 
ceived. And knowing this, they stand pledged, 
by the act of joining, to conform to this rule of 
the Church. Then let them attend their class ; 
let them mingle with their brethren in its inti- 
mate fellowships; let them there speak, one 
with another, in all the freeness of Christian 
confidence and brotherly-love ; let them do this 
and it will be a great blessing to them, and to 
the Church. 



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